Foot Falls: Heart of Darkness
by FoxxStarr
Summary: Part 6 of the Foot Falls Series: Artemis & Tracey are returned to New York but it's not the one they remember. Magic lurked just out of sight and they have to help Kaulder fight a Darkness that is poised to engulf the world. Triggers: Swearing, dark themes, violence. Established pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for following us on this adventure, we have had so much fun writing it and putting it up for everyone to read. Its been a while since I posted anything but since I work the convention circuit and the months between April and October are my busy season I kinda had to put off updates. I'll be posting a little more regularly though! As usual reviews are rewarded with good karma and kitten kisses!**

 _Kaulder had more than had enough. He was once again standing in knee deep in mud and blood with the stink of death and fire in his nose and he was so damned tired of it all. He had thought when he put down the Witch Queen in the tunnels under the Church that somehow things would get easier. After all wasn't the truth supposed to set you free? Whoever had said that was a moron because at the moment he felt more trapped than ever and if Chloe's premonitions were to be believed there was more on it's way. The Dark was creeping in and as he looked up at the bright Summer sun filtering through the shattered roof he wondered how it was possible to be standing right in the sun, the most perfect expression of God's love and feel as though he were standing in the Heart of Darkness._

"You have done well but your task is not yet done." The Voice rang through their minds as they once again hurtled through the Waiting Room.

They found themselves standing in front of a run down warehouse dressed in modern clothing, in fact they were dressed in the same clothes they'd left London in, Artemis even had Sherlock's scarf looped around her neck though it was more decorative than necessary at this point since the sun was shining brightly and cicadas buzzed deafeningly from the trees, it was high summer wherever they were. Artemis glanced down at her cast and her lips twisted wryly as she shifted her satchel more comfortably.

Tracey looked down at her own clothes and smiled a little at her new attire, quite the change of pace from her body bandages and cloak. She wore her black leggings, her knee high, zip up boots, a light yet comfortable shirt and a sash around her waist. Shifting her bag on her shoulder-blade, Tracey suddenly felt her stomach churn violently and her facial expression went from one of happiness to panic.

"Oh this is not good!" She said quickly and turned on her booted feet to find the nearest patch of grass.

Coughing in fits, Tracey suddenly vomited the contents of her stomach though this time there wasn't much there since their last meal was the early morning on their last day in Greece and even that was sparse on the mountain side. Tracey slowly wiped her mouth on a spare piece of cloth from her satchel and stood up, looking very annoyed.

"God I wish I knew why I throw up every time we jump through universes... It really pisses me off." She muttered before raising her voice to be heard more clearly. "Where do you think we are now Artemis?"

Artemis shrugged. "No idea. You know I think you blow chunks every time because you aren't tuned to the same frequency I am."

"Hopefully when I get my upgrade, with your help, I'll get over that and it won't happen anymore." Tracey replied, glancing around at their surroundings. "Let's see if we can't find a main street and see what we can find out about this city, including a place to stay out of the weather."

She wanted to get away from the warehouse to a more pleasant location, her mental scars being brought up by the rundown looking building behind them. Motioning for Artemis to catch up with her, Tracey stepped out cautiously and kept her eyes open for anything that could hold some clue as to why they had been brought to this place.

Artemis frowned at the building, something was nagging at her, her instincts were screaming at her and she ran a hand over her cast biting her lower lip. "Tracey stay here for a minute will you? I need to take a look inside."

"Oh no you don't Artemis, I'm coming with you like we promised in Greece." Tracey said doing a complete one-eighty and striding back to her friend and resting her hands on her hips. "Let's take a look inside and this time we're going to go carefully."

Pulling on the strap of her satchel to make sure it was secure and wouldn't come free, Tracey jerked her thumb at the warehouse and sighed. "Let's get this over with I guess."

Artemis gave her a fond look and started up the derelict steps to the warehouse door. "Can I at least pee by myself?" She asked pushing the door open with a squeal of protesting wood and metal.

"That little piece of privacy I can grant you without worry." Tracey answered rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "But little else under the circumstances and from here on out."

Keeping her voice low and her eyes open to the sunlight dancing in between the shadows of the old warehouse, she felt a chill run down her spine and then back up to her shoulder blades. "I hope we're not walking into some deep shit Artemis." She said, touching her thigh and feeling the sheathed dagger there that Artemis had given her while in Ancient Greece. "I have a sneaking suspicion that we are..."

"Being watched." A deep voice finished for her.

Artemis didn't so much as jump which annoyed the hell out of Tracey because she had leapt like she'd been stung by a bee. "Yeah." He friend drawled. "Watched, care to come out where we can see you?"

"I think I'm more comfortable where I am." The deep voice said again from a different place than before, he was on the move.

Artemis made an annoyed noise and raised her hand almost without thought and a globe of pale light popped into being illuminating the interior of the warehouse, if it surprised her she didn't let it show. Tracey stared at the man standing barely three feet away from them a sword raised enpoint and and close enough that Artemis could see her breath misting the metal. It had been very dark in the warehouse.

He was a tall man, around six foot five inches, tall enough that both of them had to look up to meet his eyes, his bald head gleamed dully under the ball of wytchlight Artemis had conjured and he studied them with intense dark eyes. Artemis looked over at Tracey. "Does that answer where we are?"

"It does... as a matter of fact." Tracey replied slowly, looking at the man from his bald head to his muddied boots. "Looks like we're back in New York city again Artemis and somehow we're here to help the infamous Kaulder... the last Witch-hunter... super."

Though she sounded really disinterested in being there, Tracey was in fact covering up her excitement and the fact that she was trying to get her breathing under control again. She didn't like being snuck up on and oh how she detested having sharp implements of destruction pointed at them, but especially her.

"Despite what this looks like and who we are, we're here to help you so..." She started to say, pointing to the sword in his hands. "Perhaps you should put that knife away..."

He gave them both a curious look but lowered the sword. "How did two witches of your power get into the city without the new Council knowing?"

Artemis smiled slightly. "As powerful as I am I could walk right up to them and they'd never know me for what I am. We'd have to be from here for us to register."

The sound of running feet alerted them to company on its way but Kaulder stayed relaxed, he knew those running feet. Chloe skidded to a halt staring at the wytchfire in Artemis's hand. "Oh shit…"

"Chloe?" Kaulder asked sheathing the sword.

"They all but glow with power but I didn't feel them until just now."

Tracey blinked at Kaulder's statement and then looked at Artemis in slight confusion.

"You said two witches... oh lovely, this could be fun." She said with a smirk, realizing that he called her a witch too. "Oh what wonders have been bestowed upon me in this little world I wonder. I guess we'll have to find out later what fun abilities I have... Is this why you wanted to come into this warehouse Artemis?"

Artemis crossed her arms. "Remember what I've told you before. Don't get used to it, that's how mistakes happen. And yes, my instincts were going banana's telling me to come in here."

"Alright, you two are coming with me. Something is going on here and apparently you're part of it. Chloe is there anything you can tell me?" Kaulder started towards the door and the summer sun outside.

Chloe hurried after him. "The Cards said something bad was coming. And all the portents are leading up to something big and world changing if not world ending."

Artemis looked at Tracey and followed after them the wytchlight winking out. "Yes, yes I know and haven't forgotten." She answered, pushing her dark hair from her face. "It still won't stop me from wondering and trying to figure out what I get to play with."

Glad to leave the warehouse, Tracey kept close to Artemis as they followed Chloe and Kaulder to the street. She was glad that the sun was out and that its rays felt warm on her skin. After the mountaintop atmosphere and the chilly nights, it was a blessing to have the sun and it's warmth again.

"Where are we going Kaulder?" She asked loudly, wondering if he'd actually answer her since they all had just met.

"Somewhere safer than a run down warehouse all but writhing with back mold." He replied and took Chloe's hand steering them all toward an alleyway.

He ushered them into his car and drove with frankly alarming speed to a highrise building and in near silence loaded them into an elevator and up to his penthouse apartment. Once they were safely inside Chloe turned and stared at them with so much intensity Tracey wondered if she had something on her face. "Just who the hell are you two? I've never felt anyone like you and I've been inside the head of the Witch Queen."

"A dangerous labyrinth if you're not careful." Tracey replied, crossing her arms under her chest and walking around the large living room, casting her eyes over everything in the room and nodding her approval to all that she saw. "First of all the niceties should be observed don't you think so Chloe or have you forgotten your manners? My name is Tracey and my friend there is Artemis, she's probably the one you're feeling the most energy from."

Artemis snorted lightly. "Once a teacher." She murmured and wandered past Chloe into the main part of the penthouse looking at the various artefacts curiously. Kaulder had retreated further into the house to put his sword away.

Chloe wrinkled her nose and trailed after Tracey. "Well then intro's have been made and yeah, Artemis practically vibrates with power but I'd rather talk to you."

Tracey looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow, shrugged her shoulders and turned to face her. She studied Chloe with a skeptical look, tilting her head from side to side.

"Oh? About what?"

Chloe motioned Tracey towards the kitchen. "Well for one where did you come from? You two don't feel right. Like you're just a second out of synch with the world."

Tracey had the odd feeling she was being interrogated but she couldn't sense any malice from Chloe. Following Chloe to the kitchen and leaning against one of the granite counters, her arms still crossed. She listened to her questions in silence and stood up just a little bit straighter from her position on the counter when she was finished.

"What truly feels right about anyone... in any world?" Tracey asked in return. "We've recently returned from a trip to Greece."

It was mostly the truth, she just omitted a few facts. Chloe set two mugs on the counter and poured out cups of fruit teas. "You feel just a little left of center you know? Like puzzle pieces, same shape but the wrong picture."

"I can understand what you mean." She started, looking at the mug of tea and picking it up to bring to her nose and smell the hot liquid. "Thank you for the drink, I appreciate it, but I have answered your question. We'll feel a little out of sorts to you for a time but it's not something you should be entirely worried about."

Tracey took a sip of her tea gingerly before adding a few spoonfuls of sugar in her mug and stirring it. Taking another sip, she nodded and drank again, this time pleased with the sweet and fruity beverage.

Chloe made a frustrated noise, Artemis wandered by the kitchen and gave them an enigmatic smile. Kaulder walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter folding his arms. "I take it we'll get fewer answers out of her?" He hooked a thumb towards Artemis.

"That's right." Tracey answered with a growing smirk. "Like I said before we're here to help you, whether you trust us or not that's not our problem. You have a dilemma on the rise here and Artemis and I are apart of the solution, I can guarantee that. So are you going to be housing us while we're here for a brief amount of time or shall Artemis and I find a place to stay?"

She raised the mug of tea to her lips and took a steady draft from it, letting the hot liquid run down her throat and enjoying the soothing moisture. Good tea like this is what she missed while they were in Ancient Greece, the tea there was good and all but nothing really compared to the tea one could get in America. Tracey cupped the mug with both hands to absorb the warmth from the tea and relaxed, still leaning against the counter and studying Kaulder and Chloe through observant eyes.

"Smooth Tracey, subtle hints of condescension with just a splash of smug superiority." Artemis teased walking into the kitchen and turned to Kaulder.

"Is that a real Vodun Loa Mask?"

He looked a little surprised as he answered. "Yeah…"

"Circa 1930's right? All the brass was stripped off and it was repainted during World War II?"

Artemis had the gleam of avid curiosity in her eyes and Kaulder had to smile. "What do you know about Vodun Loa Masks?"

"You're like a child in a candy shop Artemis." Tracey said with a soft laugh. "But I have to say that I'm a little interested in many of the artifacts you have acquired in your eight hundred years of servitude to the Axe and Hammer... don't worry Kaulder you don't look a day over a hundred and twenty-nine."

She couldn't help but smile sweetly at him and then shuffled her satchel to her other shoulder.

Artemis chuckled. "I know the basics of Vodun, I know the Loa Masks are used to communicate with the Loa and I have a working understanding of the various Loa but since I don't practice Vodun I don't know much more. I'm just fascinated by Magical Practice in general."

"You're both Witches though." Chloe interjected.

"Actually…" Artemis leaned against the counter and folded her hands before she gave them the short version of their last year. Chloe was staring wide eyed and opened mouthed and Kaulder looked like he'd been ht upside the back of the head. "So You're the real Witch and she… what? She got dragged along for the ride?" Chloe finally asked.

"Something like that." Artemis said giving Tracey a placating look. "It's different from world to world, at least for Tracey, I always seem to retain my witchcraft."

Kaulder ran a hand over his head. "So… what's gone wrong here?"

Finishing her tea and setting her mug down, Tracey pushed her hair out of her face with a sigh and a shake of her head.

"It would be very unwise to count me out just because I'm not a real witch like our present company... why do people always think I'm useless Artemis, they're just asking for the slap in my pocket that has their name on it." Tracey started, narrowing her eyes at Chloe for a moment before looking at their bald headed companion now and continuing.

"You're guess is as good as ours Kaulder. You wouldn't happen to have some ideas of your own?"

Kaulder and Chloe considered it for a long time before shaking their heads, Artemis worried her lower lip between her teeth for a moment then shrugged. "Well whatever it is will turn up sooner or later."

"I can ask around, see if any of my friends have heard anything." Chole added.

Artemis nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Tracey and I are going to find a hotel, I'm sure you'll

know where to find us."

Kaulder straightened looking surprised. "Wait what are you two planning?"

Artemis grinned suddenly. "We've been in ancient Greece for a month, I'm taking a shower."

"A hot shower... Now that's what I've been missing and I can guarantee I'm not coming out from the bathroom for a very long hour." Tracey said with a smile. "You know Artemis... I wish the boys were here so we could drop by and say hello to them. I miss them all but especially Leo and Mikey."

She pushed herself off from the counter and sighed. "We'll find a hotel that will suit us and figure out something along the lines of a job so we can pay for the hotel."

Kaulder stared at them both trying to decide if he had a hope of making them stay but in the end he handed them a business card with his contact info and the name of a reasonably priced hotel nearby. The door closed behind Artemis and Tracey bickering amicably over who got the shower first, Tracey was winning since she argued that she smelled like wet cat and probably had fleas from spending so much time in animal form. Chloe snuggled under his arm and looked up at him. "How much do we tell them?" She asked.

He considered it for a minute. "Nothing until we know they can be trusted. For all we know they could be here to make sure Reality falls apart. What better way to do that than to tell us they're working for the good guys."

She nodded and went up on tiptoe for a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

"We are not getting a day job Tracey, we have enough money to finance a small country." Artemis grumbled as they walked towards a bank where they could get a coin transferred into local currency.

"I know that Artemis, but they didn't need to know how much money we had and where we got it from." Tracey replied with a mischievous and knowing look. "So after this we're going to freshen up a bit and get something to eat right? I bet you anything there's a Cracker Barrel or something else that's good around here."

As they walked, she looked up and down the street to see if anything edible looked good. Artemis opened the door to the bank and about an hour later they'd exchanged the coin for cash. "Hotel first." Artemis declared and walked briskly to the nicest hotel on the block and checked them in for a week.

"Yay! A shower is just what the doctor ordered." Tracey grinned, shouldering her satchel higher on her shoulder as they walked toward the elevators. "Oh I'm going to love it so!"

As the small box delivered them to the top of the hotel, the metal worked doors of the elevator opened and admitted them to their penthouse room. The elaborate doors were decorated with vines and birds, rolling mountains and streams were etched into the wood in a wonderful layout. Tracey took her fingers and traced the designs with a sigh, before she pushed open the door and her smile instantly came back. In front of her the room opened up into a large living room with a fireplace off to one side, a couch in front of it and two couch chairs on either side of it and the coffee table. The living room expanded back to the far wall, sharing the space with a large and rather heavy looking desk that could have easily been a hundred years old. With the high windows behind the office area, sunlight showered into the penthouse living room and bathed everything in radiant light. The smooth and polished marble floor seemed to sparkle at Tracey and Artemis crossed the floor and ventured into the kitchen, pleased to see that it was ready to go. Turning and heading to the other side of the penthouse, Tracey opened one of the two doors to see it was a bedroom and a very tasteful one to boot.

"Oh I claim this room!" She squealed happily, throwing her satchel onto the blue and silver sheets of her newly claimed bed. "I love these colors! And this furniture!"

She looked around the room and saw two more doors, one leading to a large closet and the other to a shared bathroom no doubt. Out of curiosity, Tracey went through the large bathroom and into the adjoining bedroom, another smile on her face as she looked back at Artemis. In the room everything had been decked out in beautiful shades of red and black, the furniture as all dark wood and suited the room perfectly.

"This room is perfect for you Artemis, it's like they knew we were coming."

Artemis chuckled and toed off her shoes and dropped her satchel in a chair. "Well after the last year we've had I figured we deserved a little luxury." She walked over to the curtained window and threw the drapes back revealing a skyline that was breathtaking.

The summer sun was just setting painting the metal and windows of the city below in reds and golds that seemed to shimmer. She folded her arms under her breasts and stared out at the city her eyes searching the gathering shadows. "It's not going to get any easier and Gods only know how long we'll be at this… We've earned a little luxury."

"I can't believe it's been that long already..." Tracey replied with an expression of shock passing over her face. "It feels longer to me."

She let it sink in for a moment staring out the window then shook herself back into the present. "Oh well, I'm grabbing a shower and some clean clothes."

Passing through the bathroom again and into her room, Tracey dug out some clean clothes and brought them into the bathroom with her again. She closed the door behind her and then closed the door to Artemis's room so she could have some privacy. Tracey shimmied out of her old clothes and put them on the counter before running the water, jumping in and closing the curtain. The water felt amazing on her sore and worn body. She was entirely soaked before working the shampoo with her hands into a lather and raking them through her hair until it was thoroughly washed. Conditioner came next and then the liquid soap that she used on her body twice, making sure all the dirt was off before standing under the stream of water for a good ten minutes, thinking about the people they had helped and those they had loved and left behind.

When she was ready to get out, Tracey turned off the water and allowed herself to drip dry for a moment before taking a blue towel from the rack and drying her body off. Stepping from the shower, sufficiently clean and dried, she pulled on a pair of hip-hugger jeans, tied a corded belt around her waist and pulled on an off-shoulder shirt that had lacy bits of transparent fabric from the bottom breast hemline to just above her naval. A new look she thought she'd try out and with a smile at her reflection, Tracey pulled on her socks and zipped up her high-heeled boots beneath her jeans.

"The bathroom is all yours Arty!" She called, taking her dirty clothes out of the bathroom and depositing them on a chair in her room before taking her brush from her satchel and running it through her hair. "Enjoy."

Artemis looked up from where she'd been sitting on the couch and chuckled. "Did you leave me any hot water?"

Tracey gave her a hurt look and pouted mockingly.

"Of course I left you hot water my dearest friend. I'm evil, not heartless you know." She jeered with a smile. "Hurry up, I'm starving!"

Artemis got up and headed for the bathroom, her own bath supplies in hand. "Oh so you're allowed to luxuriate in the spray but I have to hurry. I see how it is." She teased.

"Move move move!" Tracey encouraged, making shooing motions with her hands. "The tails I could live with but the fleas were maddening! Take your time, but hurry."

She laughed the entire time and closed the door behind Artemis. While she refreshed herself in the shower, Tracey busied herself with looking up good restaurants to hit up as well as looked up some news about strange events that were happening around the world. This was the first step to their mission, research, finding things that were out of place. Most of her titles and searches focused on things happening in New York so this was a good place for them to be and a good place for them to start looking.

By the time Artemis was clean and dressed all she'd found was that an alarming number of people had gone missing in recent months and the number of violent crimes was up from previous years. Artemis strode out of her room in a pair of black jeans and an off the shoulder top that showed off a deep red tanktop. She was running her hands through her hair and grimacing. "I need a haircut."

"I don't think we'll find anyone open at this hour, but we can do some looking around for shops tomorrow." Tracey said with a smile as she looked up from the computer screen. "Tonight will be simple: food and a gratuitous amount of good sleep. Then tomorrow we'll look for a hair salon and you can get your hair cut."

Artemis nodded and rummaged in her bag pulling out her wallet which she stuffed in a pocket along with the room keys. She inclined her head. "There's a restaurant in the hotel or we can just walk down the street and pick one at random."

"Hm, enie, meanie, minie... mo?" Tracey started, pointing out the window and then to the floor at her feet. "Oh I just can't decide!... Hm, I think going out would be fun... But I also think we've had enough excitement for one day and should eat in the hotel. They might have a bar we can snag a few drinks from and bring back here." She finally decided that they should eat in the hotel and play it safe.

Artemis rolled her eyes and grinned leading her out of the penthouse and down to the Restaurant.


	3. Chapter 3

The shrill ring of the bedside phone woke Artemis at half past three am and she glared at the screaming device wondering if the hotel would get angry if she just melted it. She eventually reached over and picked the noisome thing up. "I really hope someone has died and I'm about to inherit a royal title." She growled into the phone.

The phone crackled and hissed and though she thought she could hear voices in the static she couldn't make out individual words. She frowned at it and hung up before rolling over and closing her eyes again only to hear the phone in Traceys room begin to ring. Tracey was deep in her dreams and relished the sunlight as it danced over her skin and caressed her lover's face. She stirred from her sound slumber and peaceful dreams by an annoying sound and she stuffed the pillows over her face and ears to block out the sound. Unfortunately this didn't happen and her dream of being in Legolas's arms again vanished into mist and she jerked the extra soft pillows from her face and snatched up the phone from it's cradle beside her bed.

"Neither I or my friend asked for a wake up call..." Tracey growled into the phone, her hand putting a death grip on her pillow. "What possible catastrophe and undeniable fate decided to doom this world at three a.m and gave you the power to make this call and wake us right now?"

The hiss and crackle of static filled her ear and she thought she could hear voices whispering in the noise. Tracey's brow furrowed and she pushed the phone closer to her ear and tried to listen to the static voices but she could make sense of anything they said.

"Speak clearly and be heard, speak static and be ignored." She growled again and slammed the phone down on it's receiver again. "Baka."

Both phones began to ring at the same time and Artemis sat up in bed her heart hammering as she yanked the plug out of the phone and it kept ringing. Tracey figured that without power there would be no need for the phone and ripped it from the wall. The plan failed miserably and the phone continued to ring. Her eye twitched and she snarled, chucking the phone away from her and wanting to see it die.

"Artemis! Make it stop!" She howled, flinging her covers off her body.

Artemis slid out of the bed and hurried into the kitchenette grabbing the salt shaker and flung salt onto first one phone then the other and they crackled into sullen silence. She nudged one with her foot but when it lay quiescent she let out a breath and rubbed her eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "Welcome to New York." She muttered.

"No! We were suppose to be able to sleep in!" Tracey whined pitifully, stomping over to her phone and kicking it defiantly with her foot. "Are we never going to be able to sleep in again?! We're going to have to talk to the manager about getting those phone replaced."

Grumbling and muttering her protests at being woken up so early in the morning, she gave the phone a final shuffle with her foot and then went back to her bed and pulled the sheets over her head again.

"Sleep now, witch hunting later." Came her muffled voice from under the covers.

Artemis straightened the covers around her friend and gave a rueful smile. "Sleep now." She replied and left Tracey to settle back in.

She pulled her pants on and sat down in front of the computer. She pulled the complimentary notepad to her elbow and grabbed a pen and began hunting, she wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon.

When Tracey woke the next morning at around 8am she heard someone humming softly in the kitchen and the wonderful smell of french toast in the air. Ever so slowly, she pushed the covers back for a second time and pushed her hair from her face. Pulling on the same clothes she had changed into for dinner the night before, Tracey brushed out her hair and pulled it back up in a ponytail before applying a little eyeliner and body mist and then leaving her room. She sidled into the kitchen, grabbed herself a glass of orange juice and sat down at the breakfast bar. Watching Artemis work in silence, Tracey sipped quietly at her juice until a yawn nearly broke her jaw, but she hid it behind the back of her hand.

"Did you find the little computer file I made last night while you were showering and I'm assuming you didn't go back to sleep last night..." Tracey started, stifling another yawn quietly. "Did you find anything new or interesting?"

Artemis set a plate out for her and leaned on the counter. "I don't know for sure. I need to talk to Kaulder or Chloe, they have a better understanding on the Magical community here but if the message boards I was on last night are any indication something bad is here."

"That's a given don't you think my dear? I mean why else would we be here?" Tracey asked rhetorically while sliding the plate toward her more and dousing it with syrup. "I think they would have the information we need, but I don't think they'll tell us anything since we're new to them. In all the movies we've watched the newcomers have to prove that they're not a threat and I don't see how we're going to do that for Kaulder."

She cut into the french toast and devoured several bites, all the while trying to think of a way they could get into Kaulder's and Chloe's good graces and get them to trust her and Artemis. Artemis picked up her mug of tea and sipped it. "I'm sure an opportunity will present itself. After all, why else would we be here?" She sipped her tea again then paused as if she'd heard something her body going still.

Tracey's eyes scanned Artemis's face intently and then she stiffened too, her food lying forgotten in front of her and her curious gaze looking around at their surroundings. Her hands were flat on the counter's surface and she tried to take a calming breath.

"What is it Artemis?" She asked, trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. "What are you feeling?"

Artemis set her cup down carefully and moved to the door curling the fingers of her right hand into a claw a faint electric current arcing between the fingers as she opened the door with her left her right hand blurring towards the figure on the other side only to stop short when Kaulder all but fell into the room. She shook the lingering electricity out of her hand as she knelt down. "Shit…"

Tracey instantly sat up straighter when Artemis went for the door and didn't know what to expect, so she did what anyone would have done in her place. She reached over the breakfast counter for the drawer directly in front of her for the largest knife she could get her hands on and brought it back to her. Closing the drawer again, Tracey slipping out of her chair as Artemis moved to the door and ready herself for whatever was to happen next. Artemis opened up the door and she watched as Kaulder fell into their penthouse. Tracey dropped the knife onto the coffee table as she got closer to it, but only after she made sure there was no one in the hallway. She looked at Artemis in concern and tucked her arms underneath Kaulder's shoulders and bodily heaved him backwards, dragging him the rest of the way into the penthouse.

"Well this is a good sign that something horrible is going down..." Tracey said, easing Kaulder carefully down on the marble floor and looked at the slight smears of blood on her hands and then up at Artemis. "Welcome to New York... I guess. Not how I hoped our second visit to New York wouldn't be like this."

Artemis made a vaguely affirmative noise and started checking him over. "He looks like he's been run through a saw blade factory backwards." She muttered and grabbed a roll of paper towels to start wiping the blood off his skin. "How the hell did he get into the hotel and on the elevator without someone calling the police?"

The phone on the wall began to ring and she glared at it before motioning for Tracey to hand it to her. "Hello?"

"Uh… yes… hello. We have received troubling reports of a man covered in blood running through the halls…" The concierge sounded like what he really wanted to say was 'There's a crazed maniac in the hotel please don't sue us.'

"I see. Have the police been called?" She was praying the answer was no.

"They have ma'am."

She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. "Then I'm sure he'll be found promptly. Thanks for the warning." She hung up and handed Tracey a wad of paper towels. "Clean up the blood outside the door quick."

She herself began wiping as much blood off Kaulder as she could before turning her attention to the blood on the pristine tile of the entry hall and kitchen. "Oh shit!" Tracey commented, taking the paper towels from Artemis and snatching up another roll. "Time to put my house cleaning skills to use... Hopefully we have at least thirty minutes before the cops get here."

Panic started to set it as Tracey moved the front door and started to clean each smear of Kaulder's blood from everything he touched. There were spots on the walls that she had to spend a few extra seconds on, the drops on the floor were quickly taken care of and Tracey frantically looked over the hallway for any other signs of blood and couldn't find anymore and went back to the penthouse. She closed the door behind her and quickly locked it behind her.

"Okay Arty, every drop of blood I could find is taken care of, how's Kaulder doing?" Tracey asked worriedly as she approached her and Kaulder. "He looks bad..."

Artemis handed her a bag already half full of bloody paper towels. "Put everything in there, and stuff it in one of the vents. I'm gonna get him into the shower." She held her hands out over Kaulders sturdy frame and started twisting her fingers like she was weaving a net and Kaulder began to float.

"Color me impressed." Tracey said, quickly taking care of the paper towels in her hands and stuffing them into the plastic bag. "I'll probably hit up the roof to see what elemental abilities I have... don't want to ruin this nice penthouse."

She stuffed the bag into the vent in their kitchen so they could dispose of them later and searched around the kitchen cabinets for the first aid kit. Finding some extra dish towels and other things that might have been useful, Tracey went into their bathroom so she could help Artemis with Kaulder.

"What's your plan for explaining to the cops if they decide to show up here?"

Artemis smirked. "If this works we won't have to explain anything to them." She levitated Kaulder into the shower and turned on the water leaving it cold hoping to bring him around.

He groaned and started to stir while Artemis knelt down and checked his pupil reaction. "Hey there big guy…"

"I'd ask you how you were feeling but I don't think the answer would be favorable." Tracey said, shaking her head and picking up a dish towel and handing it to him. "What happened Kaulder? And where's Chloe?"

She placed the med-kit on the counter with the extra towels and prepared to hand Artemis anything she asked for. Kaulder held a hand up trying to block the spray and Artemis turned off the water. He squinted over at them both and sat up water dripping down his face. "Why did you soak me?"

Artemis tilted his head a little so she could check the gash along the back his head. "You showed up at our door bleeding like you'd been run through a razor blade factory and passed out, the cops have been called and I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Clean the blood off you and wake you up."

"Why aren't you healing properly Kaulder?" Tracey asked, pulling a bathrobe and a full sized towel from the bathroom closet and presenting them to him.

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped at a knock on the door and the announcement of 'Police'. Artemis groaned. "Shit…" She rummaged around until she came up with a razor and ladies shaving cream and shoved them at Kaulder.

"Get into the robe, cover your head and face with the shaving cream." She pushed Tracey out of the bathroom and glanced around the penthouse as the knock became a pound.

"Coming!" She called hurrying to the door and opening it.

Two police officers stepped into the foyer. "Ma'am, we've had reports that a man covered in blood was admitted to this suite."

Artemis looked at Tracey. "We'll… there's a man here but he wasn't bloody when he got here…"

Tracey took a deep breath to calm her rising nerves and put on a calm face when Artemis glanced at her. She crossed her arms under her chest and shifted her weight to the side, relaxing her posture a bit to show that she wasn't intimidated by the arrival of the police officers and that they had nothing to hide. With their luck, the police would inspect the penthouse and leave. If they did meet Kaulder, her hope would be that they figured he and the two ladies had had a wonderful evening filled with extracurricular activities and then leave them alone and took their investigation somewhere else so she and Artemis could talk to Kaulder and question him further.

"Feel free to give our residence a once over, but I can assure you we weren't disturbed by anyone covered in blood. We would've called the police ourselves" Tracey said with a reassuring smile before a nagging thought popped into her head. 'I hope Kaulder put the med kit and the extra towels under the sink when we left the bathroom... oh well.'

"And where is the man who entered your suite?" The older cop asked giving them a hard searching look.

As if on cue the bathroom door opened and Kaulder came out holding a wad of toilet paper to his chin, the bathrobe was wrapped snuggly around him and he had a towel looped around his neck a little higher up to hide the healing cut on the back of his head. "Ladies do you have...oh…" He stopped and Artemis almost wanted to applaud at the surprised act on his face.

"What's going on?" He asked a little apprehensively walking over to join them looping an arm around Tracey's waist.

"What's your name sir?" The older officer asked.

"James Reynold." He answered with easy confidence.

"Got ID?"

He nodded and went back into the bathroom and came back out with his wallet, he handed the ID to the officer who examined it suspiciously while Kaulder looped his arm back around Tracey. "What's going on?" He asked again.

"We had reports of a man covered in blood entering this suite half an hour ago." The younger officer answered.

"When did you get here Mr Reynolds?" The older officer asked returning the ID.

Kaulder gave a lazy grin that was equal parts self satisfaction and remembrance. "Been here all night. Met the ladies in the bar downstairs and Tracey invited me up."

The officers seemed to accept that and took Tracey and Artemis's names and addresses before leaving. Artemis shut and locked the door as Kaulder let Tracey go. Artemis started to chuckle leaning against the door then to laugh her head dropping down a little letting her hair fall in front of her face while she giggled.

Tracey coughed a little, a noise to break the awkwardness she felt and then shook her head. Her cheeks had flushed very lightly and who could really blame her?! Kaulder was a very physically fit man from over eight hundred years of hunting witches and he was handsome too, with sharp features and a deep voice that would make women swoon for him. She felt his strong fingers and arm around her and she froze up, but played it off and remained cool for the police until they left. Looking at Artemis, Tracey crossed her arms under her chest again and shifted her weight, hoping the red tints on her cheeks would simmer down again.

"Nicely done Kaulder, way to play it cool." She said before directing her attention at Artemis. "What are you laughing about?!"

Artemis shook her head and straightened up grinning before dissolving into giggles again, Kaulder was grinning too. "Adrenaline." He said simply and Artemis nodded.

Tracey shook her head and rolled her eyes at the both of them. Walking back to the coffee table, she picked up the knife she had placed there when Artemis opened the door and Kaulder had fallen into their penthouse. Luckily for them, the paper towels they used to clean up the blood from the hallway outside their doors and the foyer floor had fallen over on the knife she had put there. She took it back to the kitchen and replaced it in the drawer for later use. She sat down in her seat and drank from her glass of orange juice, before looking at Kaulder.

"Breakfast is here when you're ready for it and then after you've eaten you have a lot of explaining to do Kaulder." She said, spearing a piece of french toast with her fork. "You may want to wash and dry your clothes before you start answering our questions... hurry up."

Artemis gave her a reproving look. "And you yell at me about manners." She nudged Kaulder to the table. "You can have my portion, I'll take care of your clothes. Tracey be nice."

She walked to the bathroom and closed the door leaving Tracey and Kaulder alone in the kitchen. Tracey rolled her eyes and threw up her hands, muttering under her breath and pouring herself some more juice and sipping from her glass again. She rubbed her temples in circles with both her index fingers and deflated completely. This was all too much drama and adrenaline too soon in the morning and Tracey was still trying to push passed the annoying phone calls this morning.

"Sorry, rough morning." She muttered a little louder to Kaulder. "I have a feeling today is going to be weird... do you want some coffee?"

He quirked an eyebrow but nodded. "That would be great. Other than the police what else has happened to you this morning?"

"Possessed phones..." Tracey stated bluntly, walking around the breakfast counter and started a pot of coffee. "Yeah it's a new one for us too. Then of course you fell into our laps this morning before the cops got here... and that was a surprise."

Taking the plate that was meant for Artemis, she put it up on the counter and pushed it toward Kaulder so he could eat. When the coffee was finished, Tracey took a cup from the cabinet, poured the hot liquid into it and set it in front of him too with creamer and sugar if he chose to add them.

He fixed his coffee and frowned. "Possessed phones. They rang at 3am right? And when you answered all you heard was static."

"See if this had happened to anyone else, they might have been freaked out because you knew that, but this has been happening to us for the better part of a year... so yes, all we heard was static and even when we ripped our phones from the wall they still kept ringing." She replied, settling back in her chair and finishing up her breakfast. "Now it's your turn, what happened to you this morning Kaulder and why did you come to us?"

"Our phones began ringing at 3am, same thing, static on the other end and even after turning them off they kept ringing. We eventually got it to stop, this morning we were out checking in with some of our contacts when every light in the place went out. Chloe tried to summon wytchlight but couldn't and then the shadows started coming alive. They dragged Chloe off and I felt like I was being run through a woodchipper. I managed to get outside and thought maybe something had happened to you two." Kaulder stared into his mug before looking up at her. "How did you two shut off the phones?"

"Artemis doused them with salt and they quit ringing." Tracey replied, looking into his eyes from over the rim of her glass. "Nothing like teaching us to be afraid of our own shadows... We'll have to find Chloe, as a Dreamwalker she is valuable to both sides."

She mused for several long minutes in silence, trying to run a series of scenarios in her head and each one seemed to be a little more ridiculous than the last. It caused her to sigh tiredly and rub her temples again. "What a pain..."

Artemis came out holding Kaulders clothing which were steaming slightly. "Careful, they're still hot." She said setting them on the counter.

Kaulder looked at the clean dry clothing and raised an eyebrow, she raised one back at him and poured a cup of tea. "So, what have we figured out?"

Tracey blinked and shook her head to relieve herself of the spaced out expression on her face and them smirked at Artemis in amusement.

"Well Chloe was kidnapped, the shadows came to life and Kaulder got beaten up, but was sweet enough to come check on us to make sure we were okay." She answered bluntly, giving their wannabe hero a sweet smile. "That's pretty much it... oh yeah, they had the same problems with their phones this morning as we did."

Artemis made a humming noise as she sipped her tea. "Well that's not good. I wonder how many other witches were woken up at 3am…"

"A lot." Kaulder replied and Artemis gave him a curious look. "We asked around. Seems like anyone over a certain power level got woken up by their phones and static at 3am."

Artemis drummed her fingers on the counter her nails clicking softly. Kaulder took his clothes into the bathroom while she was thinking and came out dressed a few minutes later. "Who do you know who might be in touch with something really dark?" Artemis asked.

He considered it. "I don't know anyone like that but I have an idea where to start."

Artemis set her cup down and started rummaging around in the cupboards. "Tracey could you grab our satchels?"

"Sure thing my dear." Tracey replied, slipping off her chair.

Taking her plate, eating utensils and cup to the sink and running water over them, she sauntered into her bedroom and picked up her satchel, throwing it diagonally over her shoulder. Passing through their shared bathroom, Tracey took a moment to look around Artemis's bedroom before she spotted her satchel in a chair and snatched it up. Closing the door behind her, she tossed Artemis her bag and rested her hands on her hips.

"I'm ready to go when you guys are." She said with a smile. "Where do we go from here Kaulder?"

Artemis stuffed a few things into her bag while Kaulder looked at them amusement plain on his face. "You two really really are ready to take on anything."

Artemis tilted her head to the side and he couldn't quite understand the look in her eyes, they were serious and focused and hard. But underneath all of it was knowledge and something close to sadness or maybe sorrow. "We've been taking on much bigger players than us for a year. And this isn't even the end of our road."

She opened the door and Tracey followed her out while Kaulder followed at the rear closing the door behind him wondering what kind of life they'd been leading for the last year.

"You have no idea Kaulder, Artemis and I have seen things that would blast your soul to oblivion..." Tracey said, glancing to Artemis who was walking on her left. "In all your years of living... nothing you have done would compare to the wonderful and dangerous things and people we've met and experienced recently. I doubt you'd believe us even if we told you. But that doesn't matter now because we have to save Chloe and we've have to prepare for the worst that may yet to come."


	4. Chapter 4

Apparently it was the kind of life that made Tracey really impatient with obstructive, obstinate warlocks who liked to run down filthy narrow alleyways. Tracey had every right to be impatient, Chloe was in danger, she could feel it and she and Artemis had been sent here to help. There wasn't any time to waste who knew how they were going to find her and how they would even go about fighting the shadows if they decided to show up. The Warlock who was running from them tried a leap over a fence at the end of the alley only to smash into the chain link and fall to the ground in a heap. He was trying to scrabble up the chainlink when they caught up to him and Artemis gave an annoyed huff. "Tracey, do me a favor, try to hold him with bonds of air while I catch my breath. I fucking hate running."

"Okay, here goes nothing..." Tracey breathed heavily, trying to take in enough air the relieve the burning sensation in her on throat. "I would suggest you hold still... If I get this wrong my little Warlock then you could wander around without an essential body part, I'm a little out of practice since the beginning of our year."

Tracey made quick lazy motions with her hands, wisps of visible air seemed to collect all around her. When she figured she had enough to work with, she redirected them to the Warlock and brought her hands together in a vice-like grip. The strands of air complied with her instructions and put the Warlock in a hog-tied situation with no chance of escape. The more the Warlock struggled the tighter the cords became until he gasped for air, which Tracey was almost tempted to deprive him of for making them run.

"I hate running too, the zombie apocalypse wasn't even in town either." Tracey said, letting out a breath of air in a rush. "Here you go Kaulder, Merry Christmas."

Kaulder crouched down beside the Warlock. "Freddy, Freddy, Freddy, when has running ever kept me from catching you?"

Freddy the Warlock mumbled something and Kaulder looked up at Tracey. "Can you loosen up a bit so I can hear him?"

"Only because I think you're cute Kaulder." Tracey replied with a smirk.

Stepping closer to the Warlock and bending at the waist, she stuck her index and middle finger under the strands of air and gave them a gentle tug. They loosened a little bit, just enough around Freddy's chest so he could breath easily, but still not enough to get away.

"The more you struggle the tighter your bonds will become and if you don't answer Kaulder's questions truthfully then..." She started to whisper, making sure she had the Warlock's undivided attention. "Let's just say things won't be very pleasant for you if I have to become more involved."

It wasn't necessarily a bluff per say, but Freddy got the gist of it and gave a visible shudder. "I'll talk I'll talk!" He yelped.

Kaulder started asking questions while Artemis leaned against the wall catching her breath, she wasn't really paying attention to anything being said, a headache was throbbing behind her eyes and she rolled her neck from side to side looking around the alleyway. She'd been having the feeling they were being followed all day but any time she checked there was no one and she was getting tired of the skin crawling sensation at the nape of her neck.

Kaulder motioned to Tracey. "He's a dead end. Let him go."

"If you say so..." Tracey said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Aw I was hoping we'd get to play a little... oh well, perhaps next time."

With a snap of her fingers, the air dispersed and released Freddy. She jerked her thumb toward the mouth of the alley and narrowed her hazel eyes at him. "Hang around town little Warlock, we may need you later."

Kaulder gave her a sideways look as Freddy the Warlock ran for it. "Are you always this bitchy or is today a special case?"

Tracey's features softened and she let out an amused laugh, smiling a little more.

"A little of both at the moment, but you shouldn't worry too much Kaulder." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was mostly bluffing, however I don't like our valuable time being wasted especially since we still have to find Chloe... so where to next?"

She gave Artemis a curious look and blinked at her. "You okay Arty?"

Artemis stood up and nodded giving a lopsided grin. "Yeah I'm fine. Just need some caffeine. How about we take a break and get some food ok?"

"Works for me." Tracey replied with another shrug of her shoulders. "Hey Kaulder do you any good restaurants around here?"

She shifted her satchel across her shoulders and stretched upward until her spine popped in several places. Letting out a sigh of content, Tracey looked back at Kaulder expectantly.

He considered it. "I know a place." He motioned for them to follow him and led them to a hole in the wall chinese restaurant that served authentic hunan cuisine.

"So tell me about Greece." Kaulder said amiably while they waited for their food.

Artemis motioned to Tracey. "I need to use the restroom, you start the story."

She left them at the table while she picked her way through the tables.

Tracey studied Kaulder for a moment and then smirked.

"You're going to have to be a little bit more specific, dear sir." She answered while going over the menu slowly. "Artemis and I have been to Ancient Greece twice, do you wish to know about the first trip there or the second one?"

"How about the first one. The one that started all of this for you two." Kaulder sipped his green tea.

"Ah that Ancient Greece." Tracey started, tilting her head to the side and recalling the memories with a smile. "I think I thoroughly enjoyed the abilities I was granted there by the costume I wore. The powers that Artemis and I were granted were in direct relation to the costumes we wore while we were at a convention selling our hand crafted items. She was a Fire Sorceress and I was an Elf so she had the abilities to control fire and I all manner of elements."

She smiled and her tone became distant, like she was starting to relive being there.

"There was a storm the night we met up with Hercules and Iolaus, but it wasn't always that bad. Traveling the countryside with them and kicking all types of butt along the way to figuring out what Artemis and I had been sent to fix."

"So what were you sent to fix?" Kaulder asked.

"The world as we knew it." Tracey answered, taking a sip of her sweet tea. "And evil spirit named Dahok wanted to rewrite reality as we know and recreate the earth to suit his fancy, but Artemis and I destroyed him. Unfortunately she had to be possessed before we could do anything to help Greece. I ended up having to combine my elemental abilities with Ares, the God of War... that was an interesting combination of power to be sure."

Kaulder started to say something but the food arrived and Kaulder snapped his chopsticks apart, the crack was louder than it should have been and he paused just as the lights began to flicker. He set them down as he half stood and the lights all blew out at the same time, all that kept glass from showering down on them was the plastic domes covering each light fixture. The darkness grew deeper, darker, more solid than it should have until there was a weight to it. Tracey felt it pressing in on her as she crouched by the table, Kaulder's hand rested on her shoulder as voices whispering in the darkness surrounded them.

It was a paralyzing weight and the voices in the dark spoke horrible truths to Tracey as she and Kaulder sank down further under the crushing darkness. And then a voice rose in the blackness, a huge voice with power that beat on the air as it screamed two words. "FIAT LUX!" The darkness shattered like glass and Tracey blinked in the sudden brightness her whole body shaking as she blinked tears from her eyes that were only partly due to the sudden light.

She saw Artemis on her knees across the room, bloody tears seeped down her cheeks and more blood dripped from her nose, her chin and down the sides of her face from her ears, she toppled to the side and Kaulder started moving.


	5. Chapter 5

Artemis ran cold water in the sink and helf her wrists under the icey flow, her head was pounding in time with her heartbeat and she pressed one wet hand against her eyes stifling a whimper. She hadn't had a migraine like this in years, it felt like her head was going to split apart and spill her brains all over the counter. She pressed her hands against her eyes feeling the cold from the water seep into her skin and it helped a little, she blinked the water out of her eyes and stared into the mirror only to jump back and clamp her mouth shut on a yelp. The reflection in the mirror wasn't her, it was a female form shrouded in shadow with burning red eyes and a cruel little smile. 'Oh… did we scare you?'

The voice echoed in her head making her head pound harder but she ignored the pain.

'Well what did you expect? It's not every day I look in a Mirror and see something else.' She thought back.

The reflection chuckled and it made her skin crawl. 'Oh you're brave, that's good, very good.'

Artemis groaned and clenched her hands into fists to keep from rubbing her temples. 'Cut to the chase. What do you want?'

'The Witch Hunter, we want the Immortal.'

Artemis narrowed her eyes and gave in to the need to press her hands to her head, it felt like she needed to or her head would just fall apart. She was faintly aware of a gathering darkness in the bathroom but she was having a hard time keeping her thoughts together as the words repeated themselves over and over. She fell to her knees holding head and gasped for breath. "Shut up!" She screamed and the words cut off leaving the sound of laughter behind as the darkness filled the bathroom, it was everywhere, she knew it had to be engulfing the restaurant and she started crawling towards the door as the darkness began to whisper terrible secrets to her. Awful truths, horrible things and all the worst things she'd ever done or thought of filled her ears and made her head pound as she crawled through the door into the blackness that filled the dining room.

She couldn't remember how to get to the table Tracey and Kaulder were sitting at and when she banged into a chair she stopped, she could hear her own breathing harsh amongst the whispers and the laughter and with a scream she flung her hands up and out words forcing themselves through her body,clawing their way up her throat and out into the darkness. "FIAT LUX!" The words echoed, larger, louder and somehow more than her fragile human throat could produce.

She didn't know where the words came from, or even how she knew them but an explosion of light seared the darkness burning it away like tissue paper leaving her crouched on the grimy floor of the restaurant shaking and bleeding from eyes, ears, nose and mouth. She saw Kaulder and Tracey crouched by their table blinking as their eyes adjusted to the light before she pitched forward her eyes rolling back into her head as unconsciousness finally stole the pain in her head away.

"Artemis!" Tracey screamed, pushing passed Kaulder and scrambling over to where Artemis fell to the floor.

As gently as she could, Tracey lifted her friend into her arms and pushed her dark red hair out of her face. When she saw the blood all over Artemis's face she winced and grabbed the nearest napkin and carefully dabbed at her skin.

"Artemis, what happened?! Wake up! Please!"

She was more frantic now than any other time they had traveled together. Tracey didn't want this to be the future she feared to come true. She knew what would happen to her if she was parted from Artemis, but she didn't want today to be that day. Tracey would be sent back to Middle Earth to live out her days there and her thoughts turned to the trial she had to endure on their second trip to Ancient Greece when Legolas, Arwen, Lord Elrond, and Lady Galadriel thought she had gone mad from Artemis's death. "You need to wake up now Artemis! Wake up!"

Kaulder gently tugged Artemis out of Tracey's arms and checked her over. "Tracey calm down. She's just unconscious." He hefted Artemis up and started towards the back of the Restaurant. "We need to get out of here though."

Tracey had to stifle her protest but knew Kaulder was right and staggered to her feet, grabbing Artemis's satchel, and followed closely behind him. She glanced over her shoulder at the restaurant and then to their sides to make sure they weren't being followed. All the while Tracey followed Kaulder, she glanced to see how Artemis was doing.

"Where are we going Kaulder?"

"Somewhere safe." He assured her as he trotted down first one alley then another taking turns seemingly at random.

Artemis was pale and still in his arms as he hurried down side streets and alleys until they reached a peeling wooden door set back in the shadows. He kicked the door and after a moment it opened to reveal a truly ancient woman dressed in a nun's habit. She looked them over with eyes hazed by cataracts then turned and hobbled further into the darkened interior. Kaulder followed after her and Tracey brought up the rear, the door banged shut behind them making Tracey jump.

The crone motioned for Kaulder to lay Artemis on a broad wooden table before she started lighting oil lamps illuminating a kitchen that looked like it came straight out of a medieval tapestry. Tracey took a few seconds to look around the room and take everything in. She then watched to old woman closely, stepping passed Kaulder to Artemis's side and brushing her hair out of her friend's face. Worried clouded her facial features and her concern grew when she felt how cold she was.

"What is this place Kaulder?" she asked quietly, not even glancing over her shoulder at him. "How is this woman going to help Artemis?"

"Don't be fooled by appearances." Kaulder cautioned.

The crone pushed between Tracey and Artemis making shooing motions and Kaulder took Tracey's arm tugging her back away from the table.

Tracey hesitated a little but allowed herself to be guided away from the table and crossed her arms under her chest.

"I've learned many things in my travels and learning not to judge things by their appearances was among the first of my priorities Kaulder. I have no doubt this woman will help Artemis but I don't know her so I mistrust everyone until I'm given a reason to believe in them." Tracey replied, watching the woman through studious eyes. "You and Chloe, we're familiar with so it's easy to trust you..."

The crone started touching Artemis and wherever her hands rested a faint blue light glowed on Artemis's skin. She muttered querulously under her breath and pulled out a cloth that she spread over Artemis and motioned to Tracey and Artemis as she shuffled deeper into the dwelling. The ended in a small sitting room with another fire burning. She shut the door behind them and turned, as she did the facade of a crone fell away leaving a woman so tall she towered over Kaulder and Tracey, he face was simply put the most beautiful Tracey had ever seen and she had the elves of Middle Earth to compare to. The nun's habit remained but the hair that spilled from the wimple was so black it had blue and red highlights, her eyes were black on black with no whites and it gave her face an eery look. "Kaulder." She said and the word held music as if no matter what she said it would come out as a song. "You have brought me a pretty puzzle. Women of the world and not of the world, the shadow has touched them both. So what am I to do with them?"

Tracey blinked a few times and brought herself back to this world and pushed her hair from her face, concern still showing on her face.

"Will Artemis be okay now?" She asked, hoping for the best. "We're just here to help Kaulder and then we'll be on our way again."

"I have done nothing to aid her yet." The woman replied softly.

Kaulder took a step forward. "Baba Yaga I brought the woman here because she used a spell she shouldn't have even known. She drove the Darkness back with Fiat Lux."

Baba Yaga watched them flatly for a moment before she turned her face to Tracey. "Tell me girl, do you know what your companion did?"

'I don't care if this woman is ages older than me, but I won't be talked to like a child.' Tracey thought to herself, standing up straighter and folding her arms under her chest. "First off my name is Tracey and to answer your question, no, I don't know what Artemis did. Perhaps you'd care to enlighten us a little?"

She knew her tone was snippy, but they were just attacked by darkness and the morning did not start out the way they would have liked. Tracey and Artemis needed a break, one day that's all they really needed!

Kauler winced as Baba Yaga's eyes glowed with black light. She seemed to grow taller, thinning out even more as she towered over Tracey, power beat on the air marching across Traceys skin leaving dark red marks that bled and burned. "You would do well girl to remember that you are a very small fish in a very big ocean."

Kaulder stepped between them and Tacey saw the marks flash over his skin but he stood calm and unruffled in the current of Baba Yaga's anger. "Baba Yaga please."

"Kaulder move, I don't need you sticking up for me." Tracey growled, gritting her teeth against the pain and still didn't uncross her arms from her chest. 'Funny how this almost hurts as much as Moriarty's knives... There are worst things haunting my reality then this woman.'

This may be the oldest creature she had faced down before, but she had yet to find anyone she felt more threatened by than Moriarty and Dahok.

Kaulder shot her a look that clearly said 'Shut up.' "Tracey, please shut up before you piss her off to the point she doesn't want to help us at all." Apparently he felt like he needed to said it outloud to reinforce the look.

The room was beginning to resonate like some great bell and Tracey suddenly flew through the air like some great hand had swatted her away. Her teeth rattled as she impacted the wall and the hallway spun. Suddenly Baba Yaga was right in front of her grinning with a mouth full of sharks teeth. "Little witch, little human witch. You have no concept of fear, no understanding of the nightmares I can inflict upon you, the mortal who engraved your arms would be as a firefly to the sun should I choose it so do yourself a favor and keep a civil tongue in your head."

Tracey's heart was firmly lodged in her throat as all kinds of truly awful scenarios ran through her head, Baba Yaga cupped a hand against her cheek, the fingers were unnaturally long and had one too many joints each, the tips ended in curved claws that teased her skin as Baba Yaga leaned in to whisper. "And if you annoy me too greatly I shall pick that which you fear most and make it your new reality."

Tracey gasped for breath and it rushed into her lungs and burned them intensely. She narrowed her eyes and resisted the urge to smack Baba Yaga's hand away from her cheek.

"Fine." She said, picking herself up from the floor and leaning against the wall. "I'm going to check on Artemis."

She shot Kaulder an angry look as she passed him and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Hatred for Baba Yaga, the fact that Kaulder had brought them to her, and the situation they had found themselves in rolled off her in waves and she seethed in silence until she entered the room they had left Artemis in. Tracey took a spare cloth from her satchel, which she hadn't taken off since they arrived, and popped open a bottle of water. Dampening her cloth, Tracey gentle cleaned up Artemis's face to the best of her abilities, completely ignoring her own arms until she was finished.

'If we had just gone back to the penthouse and waited for you to wake up, this bull shit wouldn't have happened.' She thought venomously to herself. 'Sure I could have been a little more gracious that Kaulder had brought us here, but he underestimated you and I Artemis... greatly underestimated us for sure.'

Finishing up her own doctoring by spreading an ointment that soothed her burnt flesh and wrapping them up with gauze, Tracey pulled out a long sleeved, jean jacket and pulled it on. The edge of which stopped just below her chest line and still worked with her clothes.

After a few minute Kaulder came back into the kitchen with its smoldering hearth and oil lamps. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" His voice crawled out of his throat like he had been gargling glass and she could see he was pissed off in the worst way.

"And what if I am Kaulder?! Why would you care?!" Tracey snapped, looking him dead in the eye. "We should have just gone back to the penthouse until Artemis came around! We could have avoided all this trouble and figured out our next plan of action without all this drama."

Even with her posture erect and her shoulders rolled back, Tracey still stood at his shoulders. She summoned up every inch of her height and stood defiantly, fists balled at her sides to keep herself from punching something or someone.

"She's not going to come around without Baba Yaga!" He snarled and motioned to Artemis who was laying still and pale under the blanket. "She used a spell that no mortal should know much less use!"

"Typical Artemis..." Tracey muttered back, pushing back hair from her face and resting her hands on her hips. "Is she going to help or not?"

"I don't know. Baba Yaga has always done things for her own reasons and now you've pissed her off. She's curious about Artemis and how she even knew to use that spell. Hell I'm curious about it, neither of you has the power to use the spell." He moved to stand beside Artemis and looked down at her resting one hand by her head and leaning in. "Do you know how she might have known?"

"For the last time Kaulder..." Tracey said, anger slowly simmering down, but only a little. "I don't fully understand the limits of Artemis's powers or the potential they have to grow from world to world. I'm not surprised that Baba Yaga has shown interest in her though, just like Dahok did when we were in Ancient Greece the first time. Our powers vary with each Universe we're sent to though Artemis's seem to stay the same."

He looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

Trying to keep calm and retain what little patience she had left for one day, Tracey started to rub her temples again for her growing headache. What did she have to do? Draw him a picture?

"On our first trip to Ancient Greece, Artemis had more control over fire, while I had the ability to control the elements. When we got sent to New York for the first time we were granted different powers, we were both able to transform into mythical creatures. Artemis took the form of a black Dragon and I took the form of a Thunderbird... so on and so forth." She answered, letting her hands fall to her sides. "It was different for the most part, but Artemis's magical abilities always seemed to be close at hand, she could draw on them but sometimes her focus was off here and there."

He pulled up a pair of chairs and sat down in one and patted the seat next to him. "Come sit down ok? Baba Yaga needs to let her temper cool before she'll come help."

His voice was calm and reasonable and the request was an easy one, it didn't even require her to be far from Artemis. Looking from Kaulder to the chair, Tracey let out a long and heavy sigh and grabbed the back of the unoccupied chair. With a rotation of a hundred and eighty degrees, she sat down in it, her legs straddling the back portion of it. Tracey carefully draped one arm on the backrest while her chin rested in her palm and her elbow on the back of the chair too.

'Guess I have no choice but to wait...' She figured to herself with another sigh. 'Wish there was something more I could do to help.'

Kaulder rested a hand on her shoulder gently squeezing. "I can't say I understand exactly what you're going through but I think I can understand it a little. Artemis has been the only constant in your life for a year and she seems to have a handle on what's going on. Or she's very good at faking confidence. Seeing her laid out like this has to be terrifying and then Baba Yaga comes at you like a battering ram…"

"Not the first being we've had to deal with.. and not the first time we've been manhandled." Tracey said softly, shrugging her shoulders. "But you're right for the most part... Artemis has been with me from the very beginning and she's the one I rely on while we're traveling. I'm not going to get mushy, but I need Artemis with me."

Kaulder slid his arm along her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze, not quite a hug but close enough before he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees watching Artemis. "You know I have spent the last few centuries watching everyone I care about live and die but I've always kept everyone at a distance, until Chloe."

"I understand what you mean." Tracey replied, patting his arm gently for he was still burned by Baba Yaga. "You don't have to explain anything to me Kaulder, Artemis and I know a good bit about you and Chloe both... How are your arms?"

She was concerned for him, but at the same time she wanted to scold him for getting in her way. He looked down at the healing burns. "They'll be fine in an hour or so." He looked at her his eyes boring into hers the way Artemis's could sometimes, the weight of centuries in their depths. "Knowing about us doesn't mean you know us Tracey, any more than my knowing about you and Artemis's adventures means I know you."

"You have a point there..." Tracey replied and then coughed to clear her throat and sighed loudly. "What I don't understand is why your wounds didn't heal properly while you were on your way to see us... I would have thought you'd have healed by then and we wouldn't have had to lie to the police."

"I'm not real sure about that either, I'm going on the assumption that the nature of the Shadows counteracted my ability to heal as fast as I usually do."

Tracey groaned and seemed to ooze a little more in her chair a little more.

"Eh, that works for me for the time being but I hope we find out why the Shadows are causing so much trouble." She said as she stretched out in her chair. "So what's our next plan of attack Kaulder? Do you know anyone else who might know what the hell is going on?"

He gave her a sardonic smirk and motioned around the kitchen. "This was going to be our last stop if all else failed."

"OH!" Tracey moaned, burying her face in her arms.

The next stream of words from her mouth were incoherent and Kaulder wasn't quite sure if it was even English. She had reverted back to her Elvish speech and didn't care to translate any of it for him.

"Are you… Are you speaking Elvish, from Lord of the Rings?" He asked in disbelief.

Slowly looking up from her arms, Tracey raised an eyebrow at Kaulder and sat up in her chair again. She nodded and smiled.

"On one of the adventures Artemis and I were sent on we went to Middle Earth. That was one of our weirder scenarios we encountered. Artemis got to meet up with Gandalf and I ended up losing my memories for a time." Tracey explained with another smile. "It was an amazing world and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could."

He slowly grinned at her then started chuckling then laughing. "Why am I not surprised you two ended up there?"

"What are you talking about!?" Tracey said, mocking outrage. "Middle Earth is beautiful, a paradise that I found to be more pleasing than the world we came from. Why are you laughing?"

He patted her shoulder and grinned, before he could say anything further however Baba Yaga returned to the kitchen in her form as an elderly nun. She stood by the side of the table and rested her thin shaky hands on the edge. Tracey blinked and studied her for a moment, not really understanding her need for this disguise. She slowly stood up from her chair and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to do.

"Baba Yaga... I wish to apologize for my behavior. Artemis is like my sister and I don't think I would've made it this far without her strength and will. Her support and friendship means everything to me, please forgive me."

She glanced at Kaulder before averting her eyes and looking at the floor at Baba Yaga's feet. Baba Yaga gave her a long look from the rheumy eyes before she picked up a lock of Artemis's hair and began running it through her fingers. "I had a sister once. She was sweet as barley sugar, fragile as spun glass and so very young."

Tracey had a feeling that was as close to an apology accepted as she was going to get from the strange creature. Kaulder stood slowly and gave Baba Yaga a deferential smile. "Will you tell Tracey about the Fiat Lux Spell?"

Baba Yaga started petting Artemis's hair as she started speaking. "In the beginning there was the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God. And God spake unto the void and commanded that there be Light. And thus dawned the first Morning and God saw that it was Good." She quoted as she started braiding tiny plaits in Artemis's auburn hair. "Fiat Lux, the words that brought Light to the darkness but it's so much more than that. The words are powerless alone but no mortal being has the power to call upon the First Light. And yet the First Light dwells within all mortals."

Tracey crossed her arms under her chest and nodded, showing that she understood and for Baba Yaga to continue. Baba Yaga kept braiding Artemis's hair as she continued. "There are a handful of Witches through the years that try to cast the spell, most never manage even a flicker but every now and then one can conjure up a spark and then they burn up from the inside out within seconds. That she is still alive is impressive. How is a mystery."

"Exceptional Will power perhaps?" Tracey suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. "Artemis has always been a strong person."

Baba Yaga laid the braids down her fingers lingering in the hair for a moment. "Strong or not she has taxed her soul to call the Light. She sacrificed a sliver of her soul to call it, such an act cast her into Slumber, I will give you a potion to recall her. While I mix it Kaulder may ask what questions he would but when it is finished I insist you all leave."

"Thank you Baba Yaga." Tracey said quietly.

She really was grateful to the woman for her help, but she couldn't wait to leave this place and get back to their penthouse.

Baba Yaga ignored her as she began rummaging through bottles and boxes. Kaulder gave Tracey a reassuring smile and started asking Baba Yaga questions. Baba Yaga obligingly answered them as she crushed, diluted, mixed and heated things, Tracey didn't really understand any of what Kaulder was asking until she heard him ask a direct question about the Shadow. "What is the Shadow Baba Yaga?"

She paused what she was doing and gave him a knowing smile. "I wondered when you were going to ask the right question."

She went back to sifting a strange blue powder into a bowl. "The Shadow is all of Man's ill intent made manifest. Every dark thought and secret evil wish made sentient and finally after all these long years it is strong enough to act." She sounded pleased about that.

Considering her question carefully, Tracey watched Baba Yaga for a moment more before voicing it. She didn't know if the creature was going to answer her, for she seemed only to want to talk to Kaulder and she did specifically say that 'Kaulder may ask any questions he wanted' so obviously she didn't care to talk to anyone else at all. Tracey looked to Kaulder and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Baba Yaga and instead asked her question. Whether Baba Yaga answered her or not, she didn't so much care, but it would be nice to know the answer anyway.

"Is there a way we can defeat the Shadows without Artemis going into a deep slumber when using the Light spell?" She asked slowly, busying herself with hers and Artemis's satchels.

Kaulder turned to look at her and there was something to the look that let her know she'd missed an important detail. Baba Yaga ignored her in favor of filtering the potion through a strangely pristine white cloth that immediately began to blacken as the liquid dripped through it.

Kaulder spoke softly, not to be secretive but because the room had fallen into the kind of hush that seemed to necessitate a near whisper. "She used a piece of her soul to call the Light. Not only should she not have been able to do it she should be a pile of ash and bone right now. An enchanted sleep is the least of what could have happened." He looked at her with years of experience in his gaze. "Depending on how much of her Soul she used up to power the spell she could be a different person when she wakes up. Soul Magic is the most powerful kind but the most dangerous because you get used up drop by drop and you never really recover. Most of the worst Witches and Warlocks, the ones that have nearly destroyed the world used soul magic to get powerful and then once the soul was gone they were monsters."

"I can guarantee you Artemis isn't like that at all." Tracey whispered quietly from the side of her lips. "Her abilities are all natural and she wouldn't become a monster."

She turned her attention back to Artemis and watched Baba Yaga work, glad that they'd be out of there soon enough. Baba Yaga poured the potion into a bottle and handed it to Kaulder. "Begone Kaulder, you bring life and light back into my home and I am beyond such things. If you require more information seek the Queen of Faerie and say your right words. Perhaps she won't turn you and your friends into spiders." The crone laughed unpleasantly as Kaulder handed Tacey the potion and picked Artemis up off the table.

The door banged closed behind them and Tracey was surprised at just how late it had gotten, she could have sworn they were only there for a couple of hours but it was dark out and she had the sense that it was very late. Holding the potion firmly in her hand, she looked up and was slightly mesmerized by the stars until she blinked and returned her attention to Kaulder and Artemis. She was still stunned that it had gotten so late, but almost revealed that the craziness should be over at least for a little while and that it would be a nice reprieve.

"Hopefully we can get some good sleep tonight." Tracey muttered under her breath. "I dare the supernaturals to mess with us again and 3 am tomorrow morning, there will be serious hell to pay."

Kaulder was looking up at the sky with a seriously pissed look on his face, he turned to glare at the door. "She knows I hate when she does that." He grumbled then shifted Artemis so her head was laying on his chest. "Fold her arms up against her chest please or her arms are going to hurt when she wakes up."

"Sure thing." Tracey said in confusion. "What did she do? Other than take the rest of the day to help us?"

Gently taking Artemis's arms, she crossed them against her chest and hoisted their satchels higher on her own shoulder. Making sure they had everything, Tracey looked around to see if they were being watched, they could never be too careful, especially with their luck.

"We should go."

As they walked back to the car Kaulder explained what Baba Yaga had done. "She bent time to mess with my perceptions and to give anyone who wants to time to hide from me."

What a delightful person." Tracey said sarcastically and shook her head. "Remind me to invite her to the next get together we decide to throw or perhaps the next Warlock questioning, she'll be a scream."

Tracey safely buckled Artemis into the back of the car with their bags and then shut the door behind her. She would call 'shotgun' but it wouldn't be much fun now. Without wasting any time, Tracey got into the front and buckled herself in. All she wanted to do was go back to the penthouse, get settled and then she'd start dinner... lord only knew what that would be.

Kaulder drove in silence on streets that were still ridiculously busy for it being nearly 1am. When they got to the penthouse he picked Artemis up and carried her through the lobby assuring the concierge that it had just been a very busy night of clubbing. When he finally got her laid out on her own bed he stopped to just look at her. She was all contrasts awake, bright, cheerful, sarcastic and funny but underlying it was a ruthless streak, a self possession you didn't find much in people her age and a spine of solid titanium hidden under the generous curves. Asleep she looked small, fragile in a broken doll kind of way and he reached down to untangle the braids Baba Yaga had plaited, she had a thing for children and if she ever got one in her clutches the poor thing died of neglect but their hair was always clean and braided. He didn't like how she had braided Artemis's hair.

He laid a light blanket over her and went to find Tracey. Upon arriving at the penthouse, Tracey put hers and Artemis's satchels in their rooms and left Kaulder to put her to bed before heading for the kitchen. She was starving and the best way to rectify that problem was food and something quick and easy was going to be demanded. Pulling the eggs, milk, mayo, and cheese out from the fridge and then the bread from the cabinet. Quickly preparing herself an early breakfast, Tracey was slapping the cheese on the bread and the sandwich on the plate when she looked up and Kaulder walked into the kitchen and sat down.

"Want some eggs? I can do up some coffee as well." She said before taking a large bite from her hot sandwich. "Hows Arty doing?"

He shook his head. "No thanks, she's fine, where's that potion?"

"It's in my room with my satchel." Tracey answered, turning around to close the microwave door and then put her sandwich down. "I'll get it in a moment."

Brushing a few crumbs from her lips, Tracey stepped around from the breakfast counter and vanished into her room for a moment. She came back out with the potion in her hand and set it on the counter beside Kaulder's hand and then went into the kitchen to finish eating her sandwich in peace.

"I think we should wait until later this morning so she can get some much needed sleep..." Tracey said softly, rubbing her eyes and sighing tiredly. "She's so tired, though she doesn't show it as I do and she doesn't verbally say it as much or as often as I do. Hell I'm exhausted by all this traveling between worlds and dealing with all manner of bullshit..."

"She's not having a restful sleep, enchanted sleeps are never as restful a the fairytales make them out to be. At best she's having frighteningly vivid dreams, at worst she's reliving the worst moments of her life." Kaulder said patiently.

Tracey groaned outwardly and then motioned to the potion. Letting a stream of Elvish flow from her lips in a rapid wave.

"Please just give her the potion so she can get some actual sleep... This is such bullshit, it's never easy. Just once I'd like to come to a world, fix what needs fixing, kill what needs killing and be on my merry frickin' way."

Kaulder patted her shoulder. "If it were easy you and Artemis wouldn't be needed." He went for the potion and a moment later he was tipping the viscous liquid into her mouth and getting her to swallow it.

After a long tense minute Artemis jolted awake screaming; She struck out at him and he blocked the blow getting away from her as she rolled off the far side of the bed still screaming. Tracey nearly choked on her food from the kitchen and it took her a moment of coughing and swallow properly before she nearly leapt over the breakfast counter and streaked off toward Artemis's room. She stopped in the doorway and looked from Kaulder to Artemis and then stepped further into the room, walking slowly to Artemis, making shooshing motions with her hands.

"Artemis please try to calm down... you're safe now." Tracey said softly, hoping that her tone of voice would help the situation. "Kaulder wait outside."

Kaulder backed out of the room but Artemis was far from placated, she came up her face a mask of fury and fear and Kaulder grabbed Tracey yanking her to the floor as Artemis threw bolts of lightning at them. She was swearing as she stalked towards them crouched low her hands held out with balls of incandescent lightning crackling between the fingers. "I know it's not real." She hissed. "And I'm done fucking around now give them the fuck back."

"Artemis! It's us! The real Tracey and Kaulder!" Tracey yelled at her, keeping her head low, but high enough to see Artemis. "We're here and you're awake... so knock it off now!"

Artemis laughed a little wildly and a bolt of lightning crackled over their heads. "I already fell for that one."

"Then ask me something only the real Tracey would know!" She retorted, her fist clenching at her side as the few strands of loose hair rose with the static discharge from the lightning that passed over their heads. "I swear if you try to use lightning to give me a hair cut I'll kick your ass, magic or no!"

"What is my real name?" Artemis hissed.

"You hate your real name and chose a new one for yourself." Tracey started, being careful now. "Your real name is Hannah Therrien and your new name is Artemis Fox."

The crackling stopped and Tracey heard the rustling of fabric. When she peeked up again Artemis was sitting on the floor her knees drawn up to her chest breathing hard. "Thank god... okay Kaulder I can handle her now." Tracey said quietly, closing the distance between herself and Artemis.

She knelt in front of her friend and smiled kindly to her, using one hand to lay gently on Artemis's shoulder while the other she used to flatten her hair back against her head.

"Artemis, everything is alright now, you are safe." She explained softly. "We're back at the penthouse and we're okay."

Artemis grabbed Traceys wrists holding them tightly while she looked up at her. "The Dark is coming, it's so strong and so hungry. I can feel it pressing inside my head and I don't know if we can stop it."

Tracey shook her head at Artemis and enclosed her own fingers gently around her arms, just above her wrists.

"The moment we start thinking like that than all hope is lost and I won't have you start now." Tracey said gently, standing up slowly and bringing Artemis to her feet as well. "Not after all we've been through and all the pain and ass-kickings we've been given and dealt out. Together we are strong Artemis and we'll overcome this Darkness too."

Kaulder walked over cautiously and crouched down to peer into Artemis's face. "Can you remember what happened in the restaurant?"

Artemis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I had a headache, it was getting worse as the day went on, I went to the restroom but when I came back the shadows starting collecting, it was like every awful thing I've ever said or done was being wrapped around me and I felt a pressure, this huge pressure in my head. I had to let it out but I didn't know how until I screamed something and then woke up here."

Kaulder nodded once. "The shadows attacked us too but you cast a spell, a very powerful one. Do you remember it?"

She shook her head. "No. What did I do?"

"You shouted some Light spell that used up a piece of your soul." Tracey stated slowly, letting her words sink in. "You succeeded in chasing away the shadows, but we need to find a different way to defeat them, because I won't have you using up your soul and becoming a monster."

"What?" Artemis stared at them both stunned, she lowered her legs sitting indian fashion and looking perplexed.

"You used a spell called Fiat Lux. It's the First Light, and how you didn't just burn to ash calling it is a mystery." Kaulder replied. "Tracey is right, it used a piece of you soul to power it."

Artemis swallowed. "I knew Soul Magic was dangerous but I've never even heard of that spell. How did you guys wake me up?"

"Kaulder took us to Baba Yaga and she isn't the most pleasant of people, no matter how respectful you try to be after you piss her off or apologetic." Tracey answered, crossing her arms under her chest and shifting her weight to the left. "She made a potion for you and then we came back here to the penthouse."

"Baba Yaga? Isn't she a russian sorceress?" Artemis asked.

"She's a little more than that but hopefully we won't have to deal with her again for a while. Tracey insulted her." Kaulder gave Tracey a meaningful look.

Artemis gave her a look too. "Tracey I know you generally think anyone in authority is an idiot but you can't go outright insulting Powers. One of them is eventually going to turn you into something."

"Yeah, yeah I know, I know." Tracey answered, rolling her eyes. "This hasn't been a good day for any of us and I'm tired of the Higher Powers yanking us around by the chain... If we do meet up with her again, I'll just grin and bare it and you two can have fun chit chatting with her."

Artemis looped an arm around her and squeezed. "Honey we're humans and mortals, getting yanked around is what happens to those two categories."

"It shouldn't be that way. The gods should find other ways to amuse themselves." Tracey retorted, looking at Artemis in the eyes. "We have enough problems as it is."

Artemis gave a halfhearted smile. "I don't disagree doll. Did we at least learn something useful from Baba Yaga?"

Kaulder was surprised at how collected Artemis seemed and he wondered if it was experience or if she was just saving the breakdown for a more private moment. "Baba Yaga said he same thing you did, the Dark is gathering for an attack. She did suggest that we see the Fairie Queen."

Artemis groaned. "Which one? Mab or Titania?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We don't have two of them here. There's just the one and no one knows her name, she's capricious and mercurial in the extreme but if you can please her she usually doesn't turn you into your equivalent volume of spiders."

Artemis ran a hand over her face and flopped backwards to lay on the floor arms outstretched. "I hate fairies, they're all such fucking lawyers and they have more loopholes than a Title Loan."

"Yeah she did say something about that... If we do meet her, I'd like to ask her about Valinor and where we might be able to find it." Tracey mused to herself, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Not that it would do me much good here, but it would be nice to know for knowledge sake."

She turned her back on them and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm going back to my sandwich and then try to get some sleep before this day gets as crazy as yesterday was."

"Why would she know anything about Elven trees?" Artemis asked curiously from the floor.

"She might or she might not..." Tracey called back from the kitchen. "Creatures of magic may know of other magicks, including ancient Elvish magic. I won't know until I ask nicely. Having been a Faerie while we were in Middle Earth, I figured she might know something."

"I suppose…" Artemis muttered and Kaulder sat watching her while she lay on the floor.

She looked different somehow, older maybe, or like something was wearing her down from the inside out, he leaned over her a little and her eyes turned from the ceiling to him. "Kid take it from me, don't let it eat you."

She snorted. "Jesus, I haven't been called kid in a long time."

He shrugged. "I'm several hundred years older than you."

She nodded and went back to staring up at the ceiling and he watched her fingers pick at her hem for a minute. "What did you hear in the Dark?" He finally asked and she turned her head to look at him.

Tracey had heard the question too and had drifted a little closer to hear the answer. "I heard every awful thing I've ever said and the worst things ever said to me. And I could cope with that, I live with this nagging little guilt, I've been a shitty friend in the past, a terrible person but I've tried to be better. The worst was hearing the Darkness tell me that that's all I'll ever be, the sum total of the horrible things I've said and done and wondering, if only for a second if it's right. But the best…" Her voice trailed off before starting again a little less haunted. "The best was waking up and KNOWING that I am not the sum total of the evil I've done but that my sum total is the love I have in my life. The people I've helped, the people I've loved past and present and in every world we've visited."

"That's right my sweet Firefly." Tracey said, having finished her sandwich. "We will be here for you and I will support you no matter what happens or where we go. You won't get rid of me so easily, I'll just be more stubborn than you."

She gave Artemis a cocky smirk, Artemis grinned up at her and then yawned enormously her whole body getting on it as she arched and stretched. "Fuck… what time is it?"

Tracey looked at the cell phone she still had in her pocket and tapped the screen.

"Let's see... We got back here with you about 2:15 am so it's about 3 am or a little after that." Tracey answered, stifling a yawn. "You've been sleeping while Kaulder and I were chatting a bit and I just finished my first breakfast. We should try to sleep a little more and hopefully this time it will be a little more peaceful. I'm certainly hoping that nothing will happen... I guess you'll be staying here Kaulder?"

He nodded and stood holding a hand down to Artemis who took it and he drew her up. She smiled and turned towards the bathroom. "The couch is a pullout. Take the top blanket off my bed I never use it anyway."

She disappeared into the bathroom and Kaulder waited until he heard water running to look at Tracey. "Is she...her?" He asked waving his hand vaguely.

Tracey considered his words for a moment more and then studied the closed door of their bathroom for several long minutes. She understood that Artemis was always level headed about these sort of things, but it worried Tracey a little that she wasn't showing as much concern as she herself would have. Had this happened to her, Tracey would have been freaking out and swearing off magic entirely, but this wasn't the case for Artemis.

"I believe it really is Artemis." Tracey answered quietly, rubbing a hand over her eyes and pushing back her hair a little more. "She's resilient and will rise to the next challenge as we come to it. I'll worry for her because that's what I always do, but I think she'll be okay."

With that said she grabbed the top most blanket from Artemis's bed and then left the room. Going to her own, Tracey pulled an extra pillow from her own and took it out to the living room. She took about five minutes to pull out the bed, put the sheets on it and then lay the blanket over on top. Lastly the pillow and then she turned and gave him the thumbs up.

"Your bed awaits, rest well."

Kaulder lay awake on the pullout after Tracey had gone to bed listening to the water run then stop but Artemis didn't come out right away and he wondered if she was really as ok as Tracey thought.

Artemis wiped condensation off the mirror and stared at herself in the mirror, she looked the same as she always did, she ran a hand through her wet hair and sighed seeing the strands of silver threading through the dark auburn and pulled a face. She stared at her eyes and her mind wandered a little, she'd been lost in the dark the whole time she'd been in the enchanted sleep but out of the dark had come illusions, Kaulder and Tracey time and again taunting her, teasing her, betraying her but she'd always been sure that they were illusions, until she stopped being sure. It had felt like she'd been in there for years and after so long she'd started believing the illusions. And the voices in the dark… She shuddered, they had't been distinct enough to understand, at least not on a conscious level, but subconsciously it had filled her with dread, hopelessness and had sapped her will.

She shook her head hard and swallowed hard feeling a little sick. She dressed quickly and left the bathroom glancing over to the living room where Kaulder was supposed to be sleeping, she knew he was awake, he was simply too still to be asleep but she ignored him and went to her own bed and laid awake contemplating soul magic.


	6. Chapter 6

Tracey woke up around 11am unsure of what woke her, the suite was silent, only the hush of the air conditioner filling the space with white noise. 'And this is cause for concern...' Tracey thought to herself as she slowly pushed back the covers from her body and placed her bare feet on the cold floor. 'But first I need to see if everyone is okay... it's far too quiet for my liking.'

Clenching her fist at her side and slowly opened her fingers, allowing visible strands of air trail from the ball that accumulated there. Holding it behind her back as she walked, Tracey slowly stepped through their jack and jill bathroom and went to Artemis's room. She knocked quietly on the door, knowing that she didn't like to be disturbed from her slumber until she was ready to rise.

"Hey Artemis, are you awake yet?" She called softly into the dark room. "Want me to make you some tea?"

She heard no answer and took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim room, before shrugging her shoulders and quietly closed the bathroom door again. Passing back through the bathroom again after taking care of her own business, Tracey closed the door behind her and stepped out from her room to scan the living room and the front foyer. There was nothing amiss there and she still felt uneasy for some reason.

"Hey Kaulder, you awake? I don't take you for someone who would sleep in all day though you have all the time in the world." Tracey said, letting her air ball disperse as she put her hands on the back of the couch. "Uh, Kaulder?"

Kaulder remained asleep and Tracey realized the soft constant nose of the air conditioner was getting louder and started to sound like voices. "Ah man, and here I thought I would only have to worry about the voices in my head bothering me all the time." Tracey muttered, looking to the air conditioner. "You're no help Kaulder."

She poked him in the cheek, whispering something about 'being so life-like' before slowly moving to the ac unit and knelt down to have a listen. Keeping a safe distance from the unit, Tracey shook her head and wanted nothing more than to destroy it.

"I don't know which is worse, the prank phone call or the air conditioner..."

The voices slowly resolved themselves into a singular voice. "You don't know how to listen little one."

After remembering her last encounter with a supernatural being, Tracey let out a tired sigh and pushed her hair out of her face. She raised an eyebrow at the unit and shook her head.

"I don't know many things... To whom am I speaking to please?"

"To that which is always listening." The voice crooned.

It sounded like silk dragged through something thick and wet and she had the sense of presence coalescing in the suite. "Ah the infamous Voice..." Tracey sighed heavily and sat more comfortably on the floor in front of the air conditioner. "I feel stupid doing this... hm, you must have tried to use our phones too but that failed because you decided to call in the morning and that's never a good time for us. Is the sleep that Kaulder and Artemis under your doing?"

"Oh I'm not The Voice darling, I'm A Voice, the whispers in the dark, the secret wishes you make when someone has done you wrong. Those two aren't under my spell, in reality you are. How else was I supposed to talk to you? Your friend keeps shutting me up and shutting me out and I was hoping for a chat." The presence emerged in the air as a misty, vaguely humanoid shape.

"So you're the one causing all the problems... and she has every right to shut you out and so do I. You've been nothing but a pain since we've arrived here. What could you and I possibly have to chat about that my friends and I won't figure out ourselves?" Tracey groaned openly, becoming defensive and rolling back on her heels away from the misty figure. "Not give me one good reason not to suck you into a vacuum right now and call it a day."

Balling her fists again, air began to form around them as her temper slowly rose. The misty shape raised its 'hands' and she felt a sense of amusement from it. "Darling, you can't suck away the dark like a nasty pile of dirt. I want to offer you something. Not out of some altruistic sense but simply because I want something from you in return. Quid pro quo."

"You don't have anything I could want other than a way to fix the problem here and the rest of Reality." Tracey growled, standing up and bring her hands together to the air accumulate. "I will make disperse you from this room and destroy anything you try to use to communicate with us again."

She had a sneaking suspicion of what this voice was going to offer her and she knew it would probably be something she desperately wanted again. Whatever it was, she'd refuse and deny everything it would offer her.

"No deal."

"So sure... Its brave of you. Especially since I'm offering you the chance to be done with all of this. Done fixing the problems of other worlds, done saving Reality, done with the nightmares and anxiety and pain." The form slid closer to her the currents of air between her hands not even shifting the shape.

Tracey stood straighter and glared hatefully at the annoying mist form in front of her.

"I hear your offer but what is your demand?" Tracey asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't even begin to think that I'm even seriously considering your deal, but I need to know what you want in return."

"My demand is very simple, Leave. You are capable of containing Kaulder, contain him and leave. I will send you wherever, whenever, you wish to go, both of you and you'll be free of this obligation." The voice was silken and wet and so promising.

"Simple and so inviting..." Tracey said slowly and in a whisper.

She tapped her chin in a very thoughtful manner and started to weigh the options. All of a sudden she started a low laugh which then grew until she wanted to double over from the cramps in her side. Tracey looked at the misty, humanoid form and shook her head.

"Your words are too smooth and would leave goosebumps all over a person's body, like that of a snake over dead and decaying leaves. Your words are poison and we have no deal. I don't understand why people and silly creatures like you keep underestimating us humans and practitioners alike... I'll never understand it." Tracey spat out, preparing to backhand her orb of air into the annoying mist. "Yes I'm annoyed that Artemis and I have to travel to these different worlds to fix their problems and there will always be a risk involved, however, this is the most fun I've had in ages. There will always be nightmares, anxiety and pain... it's called life and though mine isn't glorious and rich, it's mine and I'll do with it as I see fit."

The mist of shadow seethed for a moment before calming and chuckled unaffected by the ball of air. "Are you sure… I wonder what would happen if I made this offer to your friend?"

"You wouldn't win there either. Artemis is strong and has already gotten rid of you once." Tracey growled, holding out her hands to the misty being and plucking at it with her fingers as if she was pulling at some invisible thread. "She is the toughest and most determined person I have ever met. We'll keep moving forward and you will fail in whatever mischief you hope to succeed here."

Raking a finger in the mist's directing, Tracey hoped that she'd be able to cause it some pain somehow. It was made entirely of air and it should work, she prayed that should could do something to give it a taste of her irritation for it and what it did to Artemis. The misty form laughed and spread its arms filling the room with darkness as it laughed. "She cast me out and cast herself into oblivion, it is not a victory. So be it mortal!" The darkness filled all the space pressing in around her choking the air out of her and sending her spiraling.

She felt hands on her shoulders and an incredible heat suffused her, light began pouring out of her eating the darkness. She heard someone shouting her name, Kaulder she thought as the light ate the darkness and suddenly she snapped awake with Artemis gripping her shoulders, she was still glowing faintly and looked was trying to pull Artemis back but she refused to began coughing and choking, gasping for air. She gripped the wrists that were shaking her and held onto them as if she were afraid to slip back into the darkness. Only vaguely aware that she was still laying in her bed and she was covered in a cold sweat.

"What happened?" She coughed, making sure she had all the feeling in her body.

Artemis let go of her and sank to the floor breathing hard. "You wouldn't wake up, and then the Darkness started pouring off of you in waves."

"Okay... what did you do Artemis?" She asked and then looked around, seeing that the entity was gone. "Kaulder why didn't you wake up?"

"Tracey… any encounter you had was all inside your mind." Kaulder answered.

"God it's already crowded in my mind... " Tracey answered, rubbing her head as a headache started up. "Artemis you didn't answer my question... how did you wake me?"

Artemis gave a shaky laugh. "I have no fucking idea. I just… I had to do something. I had to wake you up. I grabbed you by the shoulders and I started glowing…"

"So long as you didn't use Soul Magic again I'm grateful for your quick response time." She answered, slowly blinking and shaking her head. "I need up now and... some Tylenol... That bastard did a number on my head."

Artemis started struggling up to her feet and Kaulder helped her up. He stared at her for a long moment while she struggled to stand on her own before she staggered and he sat her down on the bed. "Both of you, stay. I'll get tylenol and water." He turned and went for the bathroom.

"Thanks Kaulder..." Tracey said, slowly making her way into the kitchen to dampen a towel and wash her face with it. "What a pain in the ass that was..."

Kaulder frowned at her. "What happened to staying on the bed Tracey?" He handed her a pair of pills and a glass of water.

Tracey finished rubbing the cold towel over her face and wrung it out so she could hang it up on the drying rack again.

"I was covered in a cold sweat and I felt dirty. On top of that my night clothes are clinging to my body and if there was ever a need for a shower... it is now." Tracey retorted, resting her hands on the counter for a moment and looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Thank you, but I'm not as weak and helpless as a lot of the people and creatures we encounter may think."

She took the water and filled her mouth before taking the pills and downing them. The rest of the water she took quickly to wash the taste off her lips. He took the cup and set it down before he took her by the shoulders which surprised her by hurting like she had burns. "Trust me kid, I don't think you're weak but we don't know what the hell just happened to you."

Tracey hissed a little and forced his hands from her shoulders.

"I was contacted, much like the first time with those damned phones, but this time it was different." She said, turning back to the mirror and pulling away her night shirt to see what it hid from view. "What the hell is this?"

She saw dark red burns on her shoulders in the shape of fingers, there were a few blisters on the skin seeping clear fluid and Kaulder stared at them for a minute before he ran the water cold and dunked the damp cloth back in before laying it gently on one shoulder. "Artemis must have burned you pulling you out. He said softly. "What contacted you?"

Grunting at the pain of the cloth towel on her burns, Tracey flinched only a little and clenched her teeth together. So this is what that Voice meant by pain, but she didn't even consider it to be the worst that she had experienced before. This pain registered just above the line of a really bad sun burn from a beach trip she had experienced a long time ago. But now it didn't matter, she now had another reason to put that Voice of Darkness and Lies in its place.

"That Voice from the restaurant, the same one who put Artemis into the slumber spell and the one who possessed our phones to call us at 3 am." Tracey answered, watching Kaulder work. "There were voices in the static and apparently we just weren't listening hard enough to them to understand them... Artemis would you find the med kit? It should be somewhere in this bathroom, probably underneath the sink from the time Kaulder had to use it."

Kaulder bent down and pulled the med kit out. "Let Artemis stay where she is. She's pretty wiped out."

A quick glance back to her room told Tracey he was right. She was sitting on the bed looking exhausted and distant slumped on the bed. Kaulder rummaged around until he found the burn cream. "What did it want?" He asked as he smoothed the cream onto the burns, the lidocain in the medicine numbing the pain.

Tracey watched Kaulder for several long minutes as he gently rubbed the medicine into the burns and then pulled out the gauze and medical tape. These she handed to Kaulder and when they were finished with both her shoulders and the md kit was put away, she took a deep breath and pulled out a clean wash cloth, body wash, shampoo and a cup for rinsing soap from her hair.

"It wanted to make a deal with me and in return Artemis and I would be sent to wherever and whenever we wanted... You should know that the reward would have made both of us very happy, that we could return to a place and a time that we felt we belonged... with the people we loved and belonged with." Tracey said quietly, letting out a deep sigh. "It wanted me to restrain you and then Artemis and I could leave. No more pain, no more darkness, no more lies... just happiness and love. I don't think you could understand our situation, but I think you can empathize with us. I denied what the malicious Voice wanted and I paid for it with this pain, so let's figure out how we're going to beat it and soon before I regret my decision."

He was quiet for a long minute. "I lost my family, my happiness, a long time ago. I think if something offered me the chance to go back to them I'd be tempted too. Get cleaned up, I'll go see if Artemis is ok."

He left her in the bathroom closing the door behind her. As soon as the door clicked shut, Tracey filled the sink with the hottest water she could stand and dipped the wash cloth into it. She pulled her matted and sweaty shirt over her head and looked at her reflection before undressing the rest of the way and carefully used the soap and hot water to clean herself up more. It took about twenty minutes or so to finish up and wash her hair, a tedious process since she had to use her arms to aid her and every time she moved, it caused a new wave of pain to ripple under her skin. Draining the water from the sink and returning her wash cloth to the drying rack, Tracey wrapped a spare towel around her body, took her clothes from the counter, and opened the door a little and peered out into her bedroom.

"Okay, gotta get to my clothes." Tracey said, pushing the door open further and stepping out. "How are you doing Artemis?"

Artemis blinked up at her fighting to focus. "I feel like I just got over a really bad flu and I'm cold all over." She said.

Kaulder came back into the room from the kitchen holding a mug of what smelled like tea. He looked worried as he handed it to Artemis, he started to walk back to the living room but paused by Tracey speaking low enough that only she'd be able to hear him. "When you're dressed join me in the living room.

Tracey gave him a slight nod and shut the door to her bedroom behind him with a soft click. She gave Artemis a concerned look and pointed to the cup she was holding.

"Drink and then I would suggest a hot shower too. It could help refresh you and then we can figure out what happened." Tracey said quietly, pulling out fresh clothes from her satchel.

Discarding her towel, Tracey pulled on her under garments, a shirt that would hide her new bandages and a pair of hip-hugger jeans. Buckling the belt around her waist and through the loops, she left the room and closed the door behind her. She found Kaulder leaning against the desk and sat down in the chair, her back to the windows.

"What's wrong Kaulder? What's going on?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "She used Soul Magic to drive away the Darkness, but she doesn't know how she did it or how she even knows what to do. I think Something Else is using her as a puppet to fight the Dark."

Tracey ground her teeth and narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Do you think it could be Baba Yaga? Even though she showed no interest in helping us, she might be trying to play us for fools... I doubt it's The Voice Artemis and I normally hear and I'm talking about the one who keeps sending us to these different worlds." She said, voicing thoughts and sifting through facts as they came to her, hoping for something to click and become clearer to them. "What supernatural being here would have that kind of power that you know of Kaulder. I want to cut their strings and break their hold on Artemis before they turn her into a soulless being. No one deserves to be manipulated like that, especially without their knowledge."

Kaulder motioned for her to keep her voice down. "It's not Baba Yaga, she's powerful but not that powerful. I need you to tell me what you know about the Being that's been sending you and Artemis from world to world."

Tracey glanced back to her bedroom to make sure Artemis hadn't emerged and then began to speak in a softer tone.

"There's not much to tell. Every time Artemis and I finish doing our appointed task in the world we were sent to, The Voice tells us we've done a good job, but we're not finished, it then brings us through a white waiting room where we sometimes receive new information that we'll need for our next task and then we get pushed into the next universe." She answered, putting on a thoughtful expression. "We get new abilities with every new world we go to, but other times we might not get any new powers, I suppose it could work either way. Artemis did contact it at one point and from what I understand... she was sent to fix Reality until it's restored and I was brought along for the ride. Of course I'll help in any way I can, but for the most part I worry about us, that's my job while Artemis is the level headed one."

She gave a quiet and mirthless laugh and shook her head. Kaulder ran a hand over his face and sighed. "I don't think the Being using Artemis is your Being then. It must be something else, I just wish I knew what but as long as the Darkness keeps growing and keeps striking out at us Aremis will keep using Soul Magic. We have to go see the Fairy Queen." He checked the clock which read 5:03 am. "Too early to do it right now though."

Tracey groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"If I ever get my hands on the Darkness I will rip it apart for tricking me into believing it was 11 am." She muttered, pushing back her wet hair from her face. "We get little sleep as it is and it's not even a restful sleep any more... Well we should try to get some semblance of sleep before we go to see the Fairy Queen. When we meet them I'll be on my best behavior."

She gave him a cheeky smirk and shook her head, walking back to her room. She heard him groan. Artemis was laying passed out on her bed the cup of tea sitting forgotten on the bedside table. Tracey sighed tiredly again and walked to her bed, crawling across the top until she could lay alongside Artemis. With a small smile she draped her arm over Artemis's waist and held her close. This was her sister and Tracey would protect her however she could.

"Thank you for having my back Artemis."

With those soft words spoken, Tracey drifted back to sleep and this time it was restful.


	7. Chapter 7

Artemis looked at the clothing laid out on the beds and sighed. "Well fuck, this isn't going to work." She grumbled glaring at the jeans, t-shirts that she favored and the tunic tops that Tracey favored.

"None of this is going to be appropriate to meet an actual fairy queen in."

Tracey peered over her shoulder and tilted her head to the side to inspect the clothes too. They had had a decent amount of sleep and actually woke up again at about 10:30 am this time. They grabbed a quick bite of breakfast and then rummaged through their satchels for their nicest clothes, but unfortunately they didn't have any.

"Cheer up Arty my dear, I'm sure Kaulder knows some good places we can go shopping for at least one set of nice clothes." Tracey said with a small smile. "We'll get something nice apiece, clean up a little and then go see the Queen."

Artemis sighed and nodded folding up her shirts and packing them away again. Kaulder chuckled. "Mind if we stop by my place too? I need a change of everything."

"Well seeing as you're the one with the wheels and the knowledge of this New York better than we do Kaulder, we don't have much of a choice." Tracey said with a smirk, looking over her shoulder at him in her doorway. "Let's head out then if there isn't anything else we need to do here."

Pulling her satchel diagonally over her head, Tracey was careful to arrange it to where the strap wouldn't brush over her newest sores.

Several hours and three stops later they were waiting in Kaulders foyer while he dressed. Artemis fiddled with the hem of her new shirt and shifted her weight from one boot heel to the other. She'd chosen an elegant looking pantsuit in a dark charcoal color with very thin cream colored pinstripes, combined with a new pair of heeled ankle high boots in a matt black it made her look long, and leaner than usual given her curves. The blood red silk blouse under the charcoal blazer made her skin look like alabaster and she'd opted for a simple hairstyle that swept a wide swath of her hair across her forehead coiling in a small bun at the nape of her neck. She looked over at Tracey who was fidgeting impatiently.

Tracey was standing in front of the floor length mirror trying to get a few wispy pieces of hair to stay braided at her temples while the rest cascaded down her back just passed her shoulders. She sighed with a huff and let out a soft growl off annoyance, finally giving up and turning away from her reflection. Instead of letting the rest of her attire be, Tracey began brushing off invisible dirt from her shirt. Compared to Artemis' new cloths, Tracey's were simple but still looked good. She wore a plain, button up shirt with a thin and shiny black belt just under her small, but shapely chest. Tan, almost pinkish pinstripes ran from the top of her new black pants to her hemline and a new black belt held them up. To complete the look, she zipped up her inch high, black heeled boot and looked up at Artemis in dismay.

"So what do you think?" She asked, cleaning a slight white smudge from her boots. "I think this is as good as it's going to get."

Artemis gave her a fond smile and walked over pulling a pair of bobby pins from her pocket and used them to secure the tendrils of hair at Tracey's temples. She smiled reassuringly and turned Tracey to face the mirror then pulled a small box out of her pocket and opened it showing Tracey the contents in the mirror, a wide silver barrette with an enameled black bird with bright blue markings stretched across the shining surface. "You look fine hon. When we get there don't fidget, don't ask anyone for anything and for heaven sake do not eat or drink anything." She put the barrette in Traceys hair while she spoke.

"Nargis." Tracey said softly, touching the hairpiece with a smile. "I don't know why I didn't see this earlier, but I'm glad to have him now... And don't worry, I know better than to accept food from the Fae folk. We can't afford to get stuck here in this world and I think we'd end up making Kaulder go crazy if we did."

She laughed a little and then turned back to view herself in the mirror again, another smile touching her lips.

"Perfect! And I don't even have to touch up what little makeup I used this morning... I wonder what's taking Kaulder so long." She mused quietly, looking toward his bedroom. "And they say women take forever to get dressed, obviously they haven't met you and me Artemis."

Artemis smirked a little. "He has more weapons to hide than we do."

The door to Kaulders room opened just then and Kaulder walked out stuffing a long thin blade up into his sleeve and Artemis made a gesture to Tracey that said 'see?'.

Kaulder looked them both over and gave a lopsided grin. "Tracey you look like you belong on the cover of Vogue."

Shaking her head, Tracey smirked a little bit and then pointed at his attire too.

"Thanks Kaulder but these clothes aren't anything special, believe me. I had a similar look for job interviews in our world." She replied with a slight cough. "You on the other hand would be perfect for Vogue and Runway too I think. You make that suit look good."

He straightened his cuffs. "I had it made so I could hide all the weapons."

Artemis reached up and fixed his collar so it lay flat over a thin length of piano wire. "Obviously." She said dryly.

He looked her over and she raised her chin managing to look down her nose at him despite being shorter than him by six inches and he grinned. "You look like you run a Fortune 500 company during the day and slap submissives around at the club after hours."

Artemis grinned and chuckled. "Well that was the look I was after."

"Artemis really could if she wanted to." Tracey answered with a smile. "She has the brains to run her own business and the determination to make it big, but unfortunately we both lack the finances to do much on a grander scale. We are, however, moving right along with our plans and furthering our business together."

She gave Artemis an approving look and nodded. "She's amazing and she knows it."

Artemis smiled and motioned towards the door. "Now that we're all dressed and armed shall we?"

"Might as well..." Tracey replied, grabbing for her satchel and carefully arranged the strap on her shoulder. "Grab your keys Kaulder and lets be on our way."


	8. Chapter 8

Artemis sat at the bar in Kaulders penthouse sunglasses still in place while she drank her third Jolt in as many hours. Kaulder was hunting through his books while he waited on hold the bluetooth in his ear blinking merrily. She flipped through the book in front of her only halfheartedly reading what was on the pages. "Guys I can't keep this up. I'm getting heart palpitations and I'm nauseous."

Tracey looked up at the bar from her place on the couch where she was writing in her leather bound journal and sighed. She knew it was hard for Artemis to stay awake and truth be told she wouldn't have minded taking a snooze too but they couldn't risk falling asleep and being trapped in their dreams by the shadows.

"Is there a was for us to catch some Zs without actually passing out?" Tracey asked, pushing the hair she let loose after they left the Fae's realm. "If the portal is here then the shadows could be stronger here."

Artemis sat up straighter and looked around for a moment. "Kaulder do you have any dream catchers?"

Kaulder closed the book in his hand and pressed the end button on his call. "Yeah. Real ones, not the tourist crap."

"How many?" Artemis asked.

"Uh…" He walked over to a chest of drawers and rummaged around for a minute coming up with three ancient looking dreamcatchers with bits of bones hanging beside the feathers.

Artemis stood up with a soft groan and held her hands out for them, when he handed them to her she laid them on the bar and passed her hands over them murmuring something under her breath. Faint light passed from her hands to the dream catchers and she handed one to Tracey. "That should work. Nothing evil can pass through the webs now."

"Okay, problem solved... at least for now." Tracey said, taking it and poking at the bones and feathers on the dream catcher. "I guess now we pick a place here to crash for a little while and least try to relax. With luck we'll be recharged enough to take on what's coming next."

Closing her journal and holding it close to her chest, Tracey returned to the couch with the dream catcher in hand. She settled in her place again and yawned a little.

"Do we have a plan for what could come next?"

Artemis was already slumped in a chair breathing slow and even the dream catcher clutched in her hands. Kaulder shook a blanket out over her and slid the sunglasses off her face. "I have someone working on a way to open the portal. We should know more by morning but for now I think she's got the right idea."

Tracey nodded tiredly, pulled the blanket that was laying on the backside of the couch over her, and enfolded her hands over the dream catcher and the journal. A few minutes ticked by and she was out like a light, her dreams taking her back to Middle Earth where she was wandering through a beautiful garden full of moon lilies and the large crystals she had found in her cave when she first woke up without her memories. She felt herself sigh and breath in the sweet smelling flowers before sitting down by the shore side and ran her fingers over the delicate flowers gingerly.

"What I would give to be back here with you Legolas, but I couldn't accept the Shadow's offer and be sent back here..." Tracey whispered to no one in particular. "Artemis needs me and I don't want her to face this thing alone... I can't."


	9. Chapter 9

Artemis sat at the bar in Kaulders penthouse sunglasses still in place while she drank her third Jolt in as many hours. Kaulder was hunting through his books while he waited on hold the bluetooth in his ear blinking merrily. She flipped through the book in front of her only halfheartedly reading what was on the pages. "Guys I can't keep this up. I'm getting heart palpitations and I'm nauseous."

Tracey looked up at the bar from her place on the couch where she was writing in her leather bound journal and sighed. She knew it was hard for Artemis to stay awake and truth be told she wouldn't have minded taking a snooze too but they couldn't risk falling asleep and being trapped in their dreams by the shadows.

"Is there a was for us to catch some Zs without actually passing out?" Tracey asked, pushing the hair she let loose after they left the Fae's realm. "If the portal is here then the shadows could be stronger here."

Artemis sat up straighter and looked around for a moment. "Kaulder do you have any dream catchers?"

Kaulder closed the book in his hand and pressed the end button on his call. "Yeah. Real ones, not the tourist crap."

"How many?" Artemis asked.

"Uh…" He walked over to a chest of drawers and rummaged around for a minute coming up with three ancient looking dreamcatchers with bits of bones hanging beside the feathers.

Artemis stood up with a soft groan and held her hands out for them, when he handed them to her she laid them on the bar and passed her hands over them murmuring something under her breath. Faint light passed from her hands to the dream catchers and she handed one to Tracey. "That should work. Nothing evil can pass through the webs now."

"Okay, problem solved... at least for now." Tracey said, taking it and poking at the bones and feathers on the dream catcher. "I guess now we pick a place here to crash for a little while and least try to relax. With luck we'll be recharged enough to take on what's coming next."

Closing her journal and holding it close to her chest, Tracey returned to the couch with the dream catcher in hand. She settled in her place again and yawned a little.

"Do we have a plan for what could come next?"

Artemis was already slumped in a chair breathing slow and even the dream catcher clutched in her hands. Kaulder shook a blanket out over her and slid the sunglasses off her face. "I have someone working on a way to open the portal. We should know more by morning but for now I think she's got the right idea."

Tracey nodded tiredly, pulled the blanket that was laying on the backside of the couch over her, and enfolded her hands over the dream catcher and the journal. A few minutes ticked by and she was out like a light, her dreams taking her back to Middle Earth where she was wandering through a beautiful garden full of moon lilies and the large crystals she had found in her cave when she first woke up without her memories. She felt herself sigh and breath in the sweet smelling flowers before sitting down by the shore side and ran her fingers over the delicate flowers gingerly.

"What I would give to be back here with you Legolas, but I couldn't accept the Shadow's offer and be sent back here..." Tracey whispered to no one in particular. "Artemis needs me and I don't want her to face this thing alone... I can't."


	10. Chapter 10

Somewhere a phone was ringing, it trickled into Traceys dreams and irritated her awake. Judging by the line of sunlight creeping across the floor though she would probably have woken up on her own soon anyway. She heard Kaulders deep voice somewhere in the penthouse as the ringing cut off. She saw Artemis curled up in the chair still asleep the dream catcher held against her chest like a teddy bear. Letting out a yawn and sweeping away some strands of hair, Tracey pulled the blanket off her body and set it aside with the dream catcher. She was glad that Artemis was still sleeping and by the looks of it she was actually sleeping peacefully and that's what she needed. Tracey couldn't even remember the last time they both had gotten a peaceful sleep and since the dream catchers did their job, she and Artemis would have to ask Kaulder if they could pack them away in their satchels to take to the next world. Lord only knew when they'd get good sleep like that again. Tracey looked around for a moment longer and then walked toward Kaulder's bedroom to see if he was there.

"Hey Kaulder?" She asked quietly, knocking on the door. "You in there? Was the phone call from your contact?"

He opened the door and a puff of warm moist air greeted her. He had a towel slung around his shoulders and was only wearing a pair of jeans that looked poured on. "It was, she's emailing me a ritual that will open any portal that's been opened in this penthouse in the last seven days. She offered to come do the ritual but I figure with two witches in the house I don't need an extra."

'Oh if only Arty could see his divots.' She thought with an inner grin. 'She'd be drooling right now.'

Tracey waved away some of the steam that wafted into her face and nodded. She could help but smirk at Kaulder and his well built form before speaking again.

"Perfect, I think I have a handle on my abilities for the most part. I was an Elf during our first visit to Ancient Greece and I got to use a lot of the elements. Fire was the only one that really presented a problem for me and so I didn't use it until I had to." She said, her smirk widening a little more. "Do we have everything we need for the ritual to work?"

His phone pinged and he opened the email. "We do. Finally something works out." He muttered sarcastically.

"We can do the ritual after Artemis wakes up and eats something."

"Hey!" Tracey said suddenly, poking Kaulder gently in the chest with her finger. "Don't jinx us just before we get started, it's bad luck and we could use all the luck we can get our hands on."

With a shake of her head, Tracey left the doorway and returned to the living room. She took up her journal and scribbled away, updating the pages with their latest news. Artemis started stirring about half an hour later slowly sitting up with a groan her hands rubbing over her face. When she lowered her hands her eyes were normal again but she looked like she'd lost ten pounds in a hurry. "What time is it?" She mumbled running her hands through her hair.

"It's a little after 10 am or so." Tracey replied, closing her journal and sitting up against the back of the couch. "You look well rested and refreshed. Kaulder got an email from his contact and now we have the ritual and everything else we need to open the portal."

She wanted to bring Artemis up to speed quickly do they could do their thing and get Chloe back as soon as possible.

"Kaulder wanted to wait until you woke up and ate something before we began and I agreed to it... I think you'll be the one taking the lead on this."

Artemis stretched yawned. "Probably. What's for breakfast? Is there any fruit?"

"I don't know... there could be." Tracey said slowly, getting up and heading for the kitchen. "I'm sure Kaulder has some fruit hanging around somewhere... Ah there's some."

She started to brew some tea and then pulled out some grapes out of the fruit bowl that was on the far side of the counter and began to eat them. Picking up the bowl from the counter, Tracey brought it to her and set it down in front of her.

Artemis started eating fruit like she hadn't seen food in a week, Kaulder walked out into the living room holding a handful of pages and she looked up. He gave her a half smile and crouched down by her knee holding out the pages. "Think this is something you can pull off?"

She took the pages and scanned the print while she stuffed orange segments in her mouth. She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah I should be able to. It's advanced stuff but I can do it."

Kaulder nodded and stood up heading into the back of the penthouse.

Tracey looked at the pages too and though she couldn't understand them it was still enough to make her worry.

"What type of toll is this going to take on you Artemis?" She asked, giving her a concerned look. "I don't want you collapsing on us."

Artemis shoved more fruit into her mouth and shrugged. "At this point I have no idea."

"Then don't overexert yourself and try not to use Soul Magic." Tracey said slowly, rubbing her eyes a bit. "I don't want to be wiping drool off your mouth if you become a soulless creature and that's not even an option."

Artemis wiped her hand on her pants and tapped the pages with a finger. "Honey if I become soulless drooling isn't going to be what I do. Think more Sam from Season 6." She shrugged. "I don't think I can really control whether I end up using Soul Magic anymore. I think it's one of those once the lid is popped you can't cap it again things."

"It still won't keep me from worrying." She retorted, picking at some more fruit. "So what's the next play?"

Artemis smiled and set the bowl of fruit on the end table. "I get to set up a ritual. It's kinda fun setting these up."

Tracey nodded and glanced at the pages again.

"Let me know if you need help."

Artemis smiled and stood up taking the pages. Kaulder walked back out of the back room with a crate of supplies. "I found everything you'll need in the back room. There's some space cleared in the study but can you try to keep the doves blood off the good oriental rug?"

Artemis smiled and tucked the pages into the crate taking it from him. "Sure thing. Doll can you make sure we have everything in the satchels? I get the feeling we're getting close to the end here."

"Yeah I can do that easily enough." Tracey answered, moving from the kitchen and picking up her journal and dream catcher. "Kaulder do you mind if we take these with us? I'm sure they'll come in handy along the road."

He nodded and watched Artemis walk back into the study. "Go ahead. I got those from a Objewa Medicine Woman back in '23." He smiled a little.

"So is she ok?"

Tracey looked back at Kaulder over her shoulder as she picked up their satchels from beside the couch and start to work her way around the living room. She picked up the new clothes that they bought, their dream catchers and all the other little tidbits that she and Artemis had acquired during their time here and neatly packed them away too.

"In all honesty she's acting like she always has, but I'm worried about her." Tracey answered quietly, tightening the straps on Artemis's bag before moving to her own. "I always worry about her. It's not getting any easier and there's no telling when it will end or even if there is an ending to this little adventure we're on. But... for the moment... she's alright, the sleep really does help."

Kaulder touched the end of the scarf that poked out of Artemis's bag. "What's this?"

"That's a gift from a friend in London." Tracey answered, glancing at the scarf Sherlock had given Artemis before they left and then looked at the markings on her own arms that were visible where her short sleeves, absently running her finger over them.

She reached over and slowly tucked her journal between her clothes and packed her dream catcher on top, sighing as she buckled her satchel too.

He peered into Artemis's bag. "How many things have you both picked up from other worlds?"

"Hey get out of there! You should never riffle through a woman's stuff!" Tracey snapped, shooing Kaulder's hands away from Artemis's bag and buckling up the satchel again. "Just enough to remind us of the good we've done in the places we've been... A few a piece I guess."

He chuckled and gave her a lopsided grin before he reached into one of the side tables and pulled out a small box. He tucked it into Artemis's bag. "Just a little something to remember me by."

"And what might that be Kaulder?" She asked, eying the box curiously.

"A new addition to her knuckle dusters." He grinned and patted her shoulder.

"I'll make sure that she uses them." Tracey said with a light laugh and shaking her head. "I think that's everything for now... Let's check on Artemis to see how she's doing with the ritual."

Picking up their bags, Tracey brought them with her to the study.

"How's it coming my little Firefly?"

Artemis looked up from the symbols she was painting on the floor in doves blood. "Almost done with the symbols." She gripped the barrel of the paintbrush in her teeth and scratched under her cast. "Dammit this has started to itch."

"Good, that means it's healing and you should stop scratching at it." Tracey laughed quietly. "Our bags are all packed and I guess we're ready to go on my end... What else needs to be done?"

Artemis pouted a little but went back to painting the symbols. "You and Kaulder will need to stand at the points there and there;" She pointed with the brush. "I'll be standing at the third point. I need to mix some herbs, can you guys put a black candle at the points?"

"Mhm, sounds easy enough."

Tracey picked up a black candle and handed it to Kaulder before taking the other two and placing them at the points like Artemis directed.

"What should we be expecting to find on the other side other than the Shadows and Chloe?"

"That should be about it." Artemis replied as they set up the candles. She put the blood and bloody brush aside and started pulling herbs out of the crate mixing them into a bowl. "I could be wrong about that though so we may want to be armed for bear."

Tracey took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking at Artemis and Kaulder and nodding.

"Well, now for the fun part I guess." She muttered and grabbed her satchel to throw it diagonally over her shoulder. "Let's get this party started."

Kaulder left for a moment and came back with his sword and a gun in a holster on his hip. He took his place and Artemis stood slinging her satchel over her shoulder then took her place at her point setting the bowl in the center. She snapped her fingers and the candles lit, another snap and the room was filled with the scent of burning herbs. She pulled the pages out and started reading the incantation. Kaulder and Tracey could feel power building in the room as she read until it all came to a breaking point and everyone felt their ears pop. The air over the bowl wavered and then slowly parted like it was being unzipped and the temperature in the room plummeted, whorls of hoarfrost covering every surface.

"Oh this could be a tad bit complicated." Tracey said with a shiver while looking around at the snow. "God I hate the cold."

Artemis summoned a ball of wytchfire and stepped through the portal without waiting to see if either of them would follow her. Instantly it warmed up and Tracey looked over head at the snow as it fell down around them. She wondered what Legolas thought of snow and then watched her breath mist in front of her face. Taking a deep breath and letting it out again, Tracey twirled her wrist in a circular motion and caused the wind around them to create a barrier of white snow and the cold air didn't touch them anymore.

"Ah it's almost like we're in a snow-globe." Tracey commented, watching as a few flakes dropped down on them.

Artemis stood looking around as Kaulder walked through the portal and joined them. She glanced down at the paper and murmured a word and the portal zipped closed. "I can open it up again but it's not safe to leave a portal open." She handed Tracey a slip of paper with a word on it. "If anything happens to me say this word three time and run like fun."

Tracey looked down at the slip of paper and then back up at Artemis with a skeptical look.

"And so this will do what exactly?" She asked suspiciously. "If this is going to close the portal and lock you in here without back up then you're out of luck."

Artemis shrugged. "It opens the portal, once you're on the other side break the ritual markings and the portal will close." She held the wytchfire up and the green light cast her face into eery shadows. "And I expect you to do it if anything happens to me. I mean it Tracey, if I get killed or captured or go darkside I expect you to cut and run. You can't save me if you're dead or captured."

Tracey folded the paper and put it in the pocket of her jeans before crossing her arms under her chest and stared blankly at her.

"Lame brain..." She said quietly and shifted her weight to her left leg. "And I refuse to do as I'm told until I'm sure that there's nothing I can do to bring you back with me. I know what will happen to me, but I'm not going to let that happen before it's time."

She looked at Kaulder.

"What are your thoughts about all this? Would you leave your friend here to sacrifice themselves so you could survive?"

He crossed his arms and gave her a frank look. "Actually I think she's got a good point."

"Ugh!" Tracey grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Always being outnumbered, even now... Let's just get a move on."

Artemis smiled gently though in the eerie green light it looked more creepy than gentle. She turned and led the way through the darkness and the soft shushing of their feet through the snow was all the noise for several minutes until Tracey slowly became aware of something rhythmic just on the edge of her hearing, if she was barely hearing it with her sensitive ears then she knew Artemi and Kaulder probably weren't hearing it. Halting in her steps, Tracey tilted her head from side to side and tried to block out everything else by closing her eyes. Kaulder noticed she had stopped and rested a hand on Artemis's shoulder too, stopping her quickly. He watched her for a moment and listened too but didn't hear anything. Tracey looked around them and strained to hear whatever was making the annoying sound.

"Something isn't right guys..." She said slowly. "I hear something, but I can't put my finger on it. It's like whispers that you want to hear but no matter how much you try to hear them, they're always just out of hearing."

Artemis closed her eyes and took a slow breath. "I can feel power but I can't hear what you are. Can you get a sense of what direction it coming from?"

"Hm, give me a minute... I need to concentrate." Tracey said quickly.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she listened hard for what felt like an eternity, but the elapsed time was rewarded. Tracey had taken several turns in one direction and then another before stopping and opening her eyes again.

"Whatever is making that noise is coming from that direction." She said pointing off to their right. "Let's move carefully now."

Artemis dimmed the ball of wytchfire and led the way in the direction Tracey had pointed. It didn't take long for the indistinct whispers to resolve into voices. The cadence was odd, it was a pair of voices that chanted in an unknown language then the chanting would die off and a new pair of voices would take up the chant and Tracey started to feel something strange. As each pair of voices died off the power charge in the air spiked and as the new pair took up the chant the power grew and grew until the chant ended and it spiked. Again and again. Artemis had a faintly sick look on her face and she had snuffed out the wytchfire.

"What's going on Artemis?" Tracey asked in a hushed tone. "It looks like it could be a summoning, but I can't be sure because I'm not familiar with this sort of thing."

Though she wasn't a real practitioner of the arts like Artemis was, Tracey was also feeling sick to her stomach. It wasn't like the times when she was sent from one world to another... no this was far worse than that could ever be.

"Kaulder... what do you make of it?" She asked, gesturing to the direction the voices were coming from.

Kaulder shook his head. "I can't feel anything, not a witch or a warlock. But the chanting is in an language that's supposed to be dead." He whispered.

Artemis took a shaky breath. "It's a Ritual. A really powerful one, I think their trying to summon the Dark. That Void that existed before God said 'Let there be light.' She whispered back.

Tracey slowly looked around and then shook her head, trying to do some quick thinking.

"If we silence them, the Ritual should be stopped, but I don't think we have much time." She whispered hastily, glancing to both Kaulder and Artemis. "If we don't stop them now I'm going to be sick and this won't be an easy fight."

Artemis crouched down low and ignited a very small ball of wytchfire. "Stay here. I'm going to see if I can get closer and see what's going on."

"Be careful and stay low Artemis." She said quietly, kneeling and glancing around to make sure they weren't being watched. "You better come right back so we can help you... you have ten minutes and then we follow you."

Artemis nodded and scooted away leaving them alone in the dark and the cold with the ritual chanting rising and falling around them. After about 8 minutes Artemis came back her face illuminated by the green wytchfire looking haggard. She opened her mouth the speak and leaned to the side and vomited. Kaulder scooped her hair out of the way and she spat bile for a minute. "Thanks."

"What did you see?" He asked.

"It's a death ritual. Each pair slits their wrists and chants until they die and then the next pair starts up. There are dozens dead, they just...pile them up to the side and keep going." She heaved again and spat more bile. "This isn't… isn't what magic is for. Its supposed to be a joyous thing. An expression of creation…" She wiped her mouth. "It's almost done too. There are only a few pairs left."

"Then whats our plan of attack?" Tracey asked quickly. "If we kill them, the chanting will stop and the ritual ends right? But what if its a backward effect and the ritual is concluded then the Darkness arrives as it planned to? What do we do then?"

Squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists until her knuckles became white, Tracey sighed angrily.

"So many different scenarios, what's the most likely outcome guys?"

Artemis swallowed hard. "If we kill them there's a chance the Ritual will auto finish. It'll be messier and it might not be complete but it'll be enough with all the other deaths."

She ran her hands through her hair and squeezed her eyes closed. "I think the only way to counter it is to use magic for what it's truly meant for. To create."

Tracey nodded in agreement and gave her a thumbs up.

"Kaulder and I should probably restrain the remaining, living people while you prepare as needed." She suggested, looking to Kaulder for his approval. "If all goes well then there shouldn't be any resistance... it's the hope anyway."

Kaulder was staring at Artemis with a challenging look in his eyes, she was avoiding his gaze in favor of looking at Tracey. "If we're really lucky I'll be able to disrupt the ritual by changing some of the elements and doing something life affirming." She said.

Narrowing her eyes at Artemis, Tracey nodded again.

"Alright, then lets move quickly and carefully... no heroics and no sacrifices Artemis." Tracey said pointedly. "WE have a job to do and I won't tolerate any nonsense from you."

Artemis snorted softly. "Tracey, heroics has kind of become our thing."


	11. Chapter 11

Artemis snorted softly. "Tracey, heroics has kind of become our thing."

She stayed in a low crouch and led them towards the chanting. As they got closer Tracey and Kaulder could see the flickering light of a large fire illuminating the barren landscape. Tracey nearly tripped over the first body and then it became an obstacle course of limp bodies each bearing the long vertical slashes of their deaths on wrists and forearms. Artemis led them around the heap and stopped just out of sight of the three remaining pairs.

"Surprise attacks now." She suggested, keeping her voice low and looking between her other two companions. "Restrain by any means necessary, knock them out if you have to and I think that would be the best option... Whenever you want to join in..."

Staying low to the ground like a tiger stalking its prey, Tracey moved quickly and quite agile to the closest pair of chanters and was able to knock the first one out in a stealth attack. The other reacted instantly to her appearance and swung a fist at her, hoping to hit her across the jaw and knock her down. She grabbed his wrist as it grazed her cheek and used his momentum to her advantage, placing her left hand in between his shoulder blades and bringing his wrist around to his back. He cried out in pain and Tracey used her foot to kick him in the back of his knee to bring him down. With a final jab to his pressure point, the man toppled over unconscious and that left Tracey looking quite pleased with herself.

Artemis had taken on her own pair and was currently using her legs to choke her last opponent out. Kaulder had taken one out and was trying to catch the last one who was keeping the pile of dead bodies between himself and Kaulder. He was also still chanting but the words were different and with a final shout he launched himself over the pile of bodies and dove into the huge fire. The man Artemis was choking out arched his back with a gurgle and then collapsed dead under her, the other suddenly died as well and Artemis and Tracey felt the sudden rush of power. "Shit…" Artemis breathed.

"Fuck!" Tracey growled, dropping to one knee to keep her balance as the ground shook and the wind and snow started to kick up around them. "Artemis! What's the plan now that everything could be going to hell right fast and in a hurry!"

All the hair on her arms started to stand up on end and she looked around to make sure Kaulder remained in sight.

Artemis summoned a truly massive ball of wytchfire and cast it up into the air letting it illuminate everything for a 50 foot radius. She started scrambling along the ground muttering as symbols written in blood and other thicker fluids became apparent. She looked around frantically. "It's going to need to feed when it gets here… they have Chloe somewhere, she's it's first meal we need to find her." She cast another ball of wytchfire up into the air and ran to the edges calling for Chloe.

"Chloe!" Tracey shouted, eyes darting around wildly. "Where the hell are you?!"

Her gaze swept around until she saw a solid black lump lying on the ground several paces from them and pointed it out to Artemis and Kaulder as she started for it.

"I think I found her! Over here!"

Kaulder got there before Artemis did and found Chloe wrapped in black canvas bound heavily with chains. She was unconscious and looked like she'd been badly beaten. There was a gathering weight in the air and they could all hear a faint roaring sound like an enormous fire roaring down a tunnel. Artemis was breathing harshly like she couldn't get enough air and Tracey felt like she was being crushed. "Go. Back to the portal!" Artemis gasped out looking at Kaulder.

"What are you going to do?" He asked hefting Chloe up.

She didn't get the chance to answer, with a sound like a mountain crumbling the Darkness poured into the dimension and everyone felt like they had gone blind. Not even Artemis's wytchfire could penetrate the blackness. "Dammit." Artemis hissed and fumbled for Tracey's hand. "Tracey…"

"Here!" Tracey screamed, one hand up to shield her face from the darkness.

She felt like she was going to be crushed as all of the air was forcefully removed from her lungs. Coughing and gasping several times, Tracey scrambled to Artemis and grasped her hand tightly. She be damned if she let go of her best friend before their time had come.

"We're in this together so we're going together..." She coughed. "Or not at all."

"We're going together but you're really not going to like how I do it." Artemis replied and her eyes suddenly blazed with incandescent light.

Wherever she looked the Darkness retreated like it had been burned and Artemis held her free hand up more Soul Fire illuminating her from the inside out, her bones were illuminated inside her flesh and the light poured from her fingertips. "Grab Kaulder's arm." She said thickly.

"Remember, no soulless creature!" Tracey hollered over the noise while fumbling around for Kaulder's arm. "Allow me to lend you my energy and power as you need it."

He flailed around for her and wrapped his fingers around her wrist as she did the same for him so they wouldn't get separated. Her head began to ache from the force of the darkness and only receding a little as the shadows shrank away from them.

Artemis led them as fast as they could go in the thick living Blackness until she stopped suddenly and spat out a harsh guttural word three times and Tracey saw the portal open like a zipper. The Darkness roared all around them making their heads feel like they would split apart and then it went silent. "Go. Go." Artemis gave them a push.

The Darkness suddenly retreated leaving them blinking half blinded by the sudden light and then footsteps, so loud it made the ground under them sway and jump. It was as if God were walking across the heavens with Judgement Day on his mind and Artemis started swearing. "It's taken a human form." She looked at Tracey her eyes blindingly bright burning with Soul Fire. "I can't take much from you but I need a boost."

"Take what you need Artemis." Tracey said, making sure Kaulder and Chloe got through the portal and it stood at their backs. "Let's take this Bastard down!"

Artemis took Traceys hand the cupped the side of her face and Tracey felt like she was dieing. It started out as a light drawing sensation, like a feather was being dragged across her heart from the inside but then it began to burn and her vision went in colored streamers. She could hear every happy moment, every sigh and laugh and 'I love you.' Ever spoke to her and by her and her knees gave out. Her vision was fading in and out but she could see Artemis bathed in light as she leaned down and rolled Tracey through the Portal. "Kaulder! Get your ass in here." She snarled and he left Chloe where he'd laid her on the floor of the study.

Artemis leaned into the portal and kissed Tracey's cheek. "Sorry doll. Looks like you won't be backing me up on this one."

Kaulder stepped through the portal and Artemis spoke the word that closed it leaving Tracey laying on the floor of the Study with Chloe unable to even move to stop either of them.


	12. Chapter 12

Kaulder glanced over at Artemis and saw the fatigue, the resignation and the defiance on her face and had to smile. "You're something else kid."

She smirked looking up at him with eyes that glowed golden. "I'm an idiot. Tracey is gonna kill me when I get back for doing this without her."

"She couldn't even stand." He pointed out as the Footsteps of Doom (™) grew closer.

"That's not gonna mean a damned thing to her." Artemis retorted and smiled. "She HATES being left out of the loop. I know that and I did it anyway. I'm in for an asskicking but as long as she's alive to do it I'm ok with it."

Kaulder rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "You're a good woman Artemis. You both are."

A human figure suddenly walked into view it's footsteps still shaking the ground. It ground to a halt with the inexorability of a glacier. "You stand between me and my rightful place." It's voice was sonorous and painful.

Kaulder drew his sword and it glittered in the light from Artemis. "We stand between you and humanity, in our rightful place." He replied.

Despite the light from Artemis neither of them could make out any facial features, the Darkness in Human Form seemed to repel the light but Artemis got the impression of a sneer. "Humanity, the frightened hairless apes, the failed Experiment."

As he spoke they both got memories that weren't theirs of early hominids crouching in caves and under bushes, cowering from the dark and all the monsters that lurked in it. Humanity running, cowering, dieing in the dark. Artemis scowled and held up her hands the light from her fingertips leaving glowing trails. "Humanity has faults for sure but we manage to get a few things right."

It laughed and it was all she could do not to drop to her knees, Kaulder took a half step in front of her. "Stand aside little witch. Stand aside and I may save you for last but I will reclaim what was mine. Mine before your putrescent deity called forth Light to banish me."

Artemis squared her shoulders. "That's not happening. Your time is done, now is the Age of Light, the Age of Humanity and all they have to offer."

Kaulder watched the Darkness undulate, seething in fury and a dark lance of shadow struck out at them, he cut through it cleanly with his sword roaring his ancient battle cry. "By Iron and Fire!"

More lances of Shadow pressed in and he cut through them all but the Darkness seemed endless and he was pressed back until he felt Artemis's hands press hot against his back. Suddenly his mind was filled with memories of his wife, of his daughter and how much he'd loved them. His comrades in arms, the Dolens of the Hammer and Cross, and Chloe. His heart clenched at how much he loved her. He hadn't realized he had it in him to love that much again but he did, he loved her, her smile, he sarcastic sense of humor, the way she could look at him and set his heart hammering. Her skills as a witch and her unwavering loyalty. He stood straight and tall looking into the Darkness defying it.

"You are but two!" It snarled.

"And yet you cannot pass." Artemis replied coldly.

Kaulder was surprised to realize that she was right. This was a being older than Time, more powerful than anything he'd ever felt but it was being held at bay by just the pair of them. The Darkness laughed again and he flinched. "I may not pass and yet neither may you and I can outlast you both. I have time and you are Mortals."

Kaulder laughed throwing his head back and Artemis joined him. "I am no Mortal." Kaulder finally said.

The Darkness took another step forward. "It matters not, she is."

A lance of darkness howled in from behind them but it rebounded off the light flowing from her and the Darkness hissed. "Your Soul is not endless mortal!"

Artemis shook her head and gave a mirthless smile. "No, it's not, but it's enough."

"Why defend humanity? It brings naught but pain, they murder each other without conscience, they perpetrate acts of such brutality upon one another that it gives true monsters pause. Humanity is a blight upon itself."

"Because there is true good there too." Artemis replied. "Altruism, charity, benevolence and Love. So much love it's endless. Humanity loves as nothing else can. And it comes in so many forms."

She raised her hands and Kaulder saw images in the light she projected. Children playing, caring for one another, an elderly man holding a child hand, people and their pets, musicians, artists, writers. He watched children and adults standing together in solidarity against hate and the glimpses that must have been from her and Tracey's recent life. Two men in the clothing of ancient Greece standing together in brotherhood, then four Humanoid turtles and a bipedal rat living and fighting together. An elderly man in a pointed hat walking with a staff and a tall lean blond man then three shorter men with thick beards, men and women in giant suits of power armor facing a common foe, two men on a cobbled street sharing a tray of fries, a group of rough looking men and one woman climbing down the side of a mountain laughing and talking with easy familiarity. The emotion pouring from Artemis was so rich and thick he could feel it in his own body, love, longing, amusement, friendship.

The Darkness howled in anger. "Fleeting! Come and Gone like an autumn sun!"

Artemis took a step forward and the Darkness flinched. Kaulder stared stunned as she took another step her whole form burning brighter and brighter, he had a brief moment of worry for how much of her Soul she was using up but she spoke and her voice echoed. "Only the Darkness is fleeting. Only hatred and fear, only despair and woe are fleeting. Inside every human soul is the one thing that is eternal. We hold within ourselves the Spark of Creation. We were created with that gift and we share it and in the sharing it grows. I hold within myself the Love of Hercules and Iolaus. The Love of Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo, The Love of Gandalf the Gray, Legolas Greenleaf, Thorin Oakenshield and his nephews Kili and Fili."

"Imagination! Fantasy! You are loved by none but figments!" The Darkness spat but Artemis continued.

"Marshal Hanson, Hannibal Chow, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Hercules and Iolaus again, Autolycus, Amphiaraus, Atalanta! I carry their Love inside me!"

"Stories! Just stories, they are not real!" The Darkness snarled and Artemis took another step forward.

"For a being older than Time itself you're dense. They don't have to be real to love them! That's what makes humanity so special. We love even what is not really there. We love an idea, an ideal. We love the unlovable because nothing is beyond redemption if we can love it." She was almost face to face with the Darkness and Kaulder was right behind her somehow finding strength in her. "But if you want something real? Fine. How about Tracey Denio?! Real enough for you?" She snarled up into the emptiness of the Darkness her eyes blazing with soulfire. "You will not get past me."

The Darkness seethed and recoiled. "I will when you are used up. I will spread through the world and devour all. Starting with Tracey Denio, how will you stop me when your Soul fails?" It taunted her and Kaulder felt his heart sink a little but she just smirked.

"I'm gonna light up the Dark you son of a Bitch." She raised her hands and Kaulder had a horrible realization of what she was about to do.

Artemis, no!" He reached for her but too late, she spoke two words that fell into the sudden silence like an atom bomb.

"Fiat Lux!"

Light seared the space washing over Kaulder in a warm rush that left him tingling. The Light ate the darkness in strips as it screamed with a sound like the end of the world. The epicenter of the light, Artemis was hovering off the ground, light pouring out of her in incandescent waves in every color on the spectrum and the Darkness was shoved back to the Void. As soon as it was gone the light cut off and Artemis dropped like a stone. Kaulder barely caught her before her head hit the floor and he checked her pulse and breathing.

"Artemis." He patted her face trying to wake her. "Artemis come on. I do not want to explain to Tracey why you're out again."

He shook her and the bag slung across her chest opened and spilled its contents across her. Where they touched the glowed softly and she began to stir. He stared in fascination as light leached out of the scarf into Artemis, he saw a stethoscope glowing faintly and dragged it out laying it across her chest and the light leached out of it too. He dug more items out and one by one they seeped light into her until her eyes fluttered open. He grinned down at her and she smiled weakly back. "Did I send it back?"

He hugged her close and felt her arms weakly wrap around him. "Yeah you did kid. God above but you scared the crap out of me."

She patted his back as he lowered her back down. "Uh Kaulder? Why is all my stuff draped all over me?"

He laughed and started cramming her stuff back into her bag while he explained.


	13. Chapter 13

Tracey slowly regained her strength though she felt like she had the world's worst hangover. Her mind was a miserable buzz of what if's and things left unsaid that she might never get to say while she tried to force her body to respond. It was nearly half an hour before she was able to move on her own. Chloe started to come around as well and they commiserated with each other while they lay on the study floor. She could feel her anger rising as she stared at the ceiling in Kaulder's Study and her fingers clenched into fists until her knuckles turned white and popped. Tracey slowly brought Chloe up to speed on what had been happening, including what they had done to rescue her. Even talking to to Chloe about their adventures the passed few days didn't improve her mood and it was the driving force that pushed her to move her body.

"When I get my hands on you Artemis Fox..." Tracey muttered, grunting as she rolled over on her side, the rest of her body feeling as heavy as steel. "I will strangle you..."

She struggled for a long time trying to force herself to her feet and after several attempts she succeeded. Tracey gritted her teeth in determination and carefully picked her way around Kaulder's desk. Once or twice her feet tripped her up and she flailed about, unfortunately knocking the desk lamp from the surface and breaking it. She cursed under her breath and struggled on, heading for the voices she heard coming from somewhere in the living room.

Chloe was slowly making her way to her own feet. "I'll help you. I feel like I was dragged through hell backwards."

Kaulder suddenly appeared in the door to the study and grabbed Tracey before she fell again, he managed to to the same with Chloe. "Easy you two."

"I don't need your help Kaulder." Tracey growled, gripping his arm until she got her balance back. "Where is Artemis?"

The tone she used was one of absolute death and she'd take no nonsense from him. If he didn't answer her question quickly then she would find her friend herself.

Kaulder switched his hold to Chloe who wrapped her arms around his. "She's in the Sitting Room. Look I know you want to kill her but take it easy, she only just managed to stop the Darkness by the skin of her teeth."

The look Tracey gave Kaulder as she slowly turned her hazel eyes on him was staggering and almost frightful. She had never given anyone a look that would stop them in their tracks and quite frankly this was overdue for her and for Artemis.

"Don't get in my way Kaulder." She said coldly, straightening her posture to hide the fact that she still felt like crap. "This is between Artemis and myself."

She hobbled slowly into the living room and gripped the nearest stationary thing for support. Summoning what little strength she had left and letting the air around her accumulate in her hand, Tracey flicked her wrist out and sent the wave of air rippling across the couch and into the back of Artemis's head. Of course it wasn't as powerful a blow as she would have normally been able to muster, but under the circumstances it would have to do.

"How dare you!" Tracey hissed angrily. "I told you we were in this together!"

She flicked another ripple of air at her.

"I told you we would go through the portal together!" She growled irritatedly. "How dare you steal all my strength and then deposit me through a portal we were suppose to go through together! That slap in the face I gave you in Ancient Greece should have been a wake up call for you that you can't get rid of me so easily!"

Another wave of air, this one only causing her hair to wisp around her face.

"Try anything like this again and I will personally make your life a living hell in the remainder of this life and every other reincarnated life we go through." She said, eyes watering up with tears and fingers digging into the couch as she approached it. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?!"

Artemis hadn't even tried to block the blows, she simply let them land while she waited for Tracey to finish. She looked like shit, her face was pale and huge dark circles rimmed her eyes, she looked like she'd been seriously ill for a very long time, her skin seemed to be stretched too tightly over her bones and she trembled all over. "I understand. It doesn't change a fucking thing but I understand you." Her eyes were the only thing about her that seemed normal.

They were bright and hot and full of her usual intensity as she spoke in a voice thin with strain. "You told me to take what I needed from you, you told me if I needed a boost to take it. Well I did what you told me to and it drained you and it wasn't even as much as I really needed because that could have killed you! I only took the bare minimum and then I had to make a choice! I had to choose between keeping you with me and risking you being taken hostage or maybe even killed or this. I chose this."

She tried to stand up from where she was sitting in the chair but her shaking body wouldn't cooperate and she took a shaking breath. "I will always chose this. If it's a choice between me or you I will always chose you because that's who I am."

"Likewise." Tracey bit back, wiping the free flowing tears on the sleeve of her shirt. "Obviously I need to get stronger somehow so next time you borrow anything from me I can be prepared for the after math."

She made her way around the couch and flopped down onto the armrest of the chair Artemis was sitting in. Tracey couldn't manage to stand, hobble, or do much of anything else by that point and she weakly wrapped her arms around Artemis and as tight a hug as she could muster.

"You're my best friend in all the world and there's nothing I wouldn't do to protect you." She said quietly. "You're not allowed to do that again... at least you still have your Soul intact right?"

Artemis leaned her head on Traceys shoulders her body still trembling intermittently. "Seems like it is." She replied softly.

She turned her head a little so she could look at Tracey. "I'm not sorry it went down like this, and I'm not going to promise it won't happen again. Our lives are just too dangerous for that kind of lie."

"What type of a life would we have if it was without danger and challenges?" Tracey asked, not really expecting an answer and resting her hand on Artemis's head. "It would be boring and too easy. Why do we attract such adventures?"

She sighed and blinked lazily, her strength all but spent.

"What do we do now? Do you think we have time for a shower and a nap?" She asked, swaying a little on the arm portion of the chair. "We could really use both."

Artemis rubbed her face and shook her head. "If I try to stand right now I will fall over. I'm going to pass out and you should too."

"Agreed." Tracey answered, trying to stifle a yawn and failing miserably. "Kaulder! We're going to pass out on your couches... If we vanish today then it was nice meeting you and Chloe. Take care of yourself and of Chloe, you never know how precious a person is until you lose them."

She patted Artemis's head and ran her fingers through her hair before slipping off the arm of the chair and laying out on the other couch.

Kaulder brought them their satchels and covered them with blankets before he went back to his room with Chloe. She peered out into the living room watching the two sleeping women for a few minutes before she crawled onto the bed and wrapped herself around Kaulder. "I wish they didn't have to go."

He looked down at her curiously. "They stopped the Darkness." He said softly. "Seems to me they saved our asses and if what they told us before holds true they have to go."

She made a face. "They stopped the Darkness but there are so many other things out there and I dunno, I just feel better having them here."

He kissed her gently. "I'm sure if they're needed they come back."

She snorted. "If Artemis doesn't get herself killed first."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She shivered. "There were Voices in the Dark… I couldn't make them out but… I heard Artemis's name and someone saying she had to be dealt with…"

He glanced towards the door. "Its out of our hands for now."

She nodded and snuggled in closer to him while Artemis and Tracey slept on the couches oblivious to whatever might be waiting for them in the dark.


End file.
